Royal Blue Resonance
by Jessaminebell
Summary: They say when you meet, 'the one,' your black and white world fills with color (Literally.) Young Haru has only one desire- To see Water as it truly is. In order to do that, he needs to find his 'soul mate.' But what happens when that person isn't quite what he had thought of? HaruRin ReiGisa Rated M for future scenes.
1. HaruRin

A young boy strolled down the street of his house, blue eyes focused only on the path ahead of him. He blinked seldom, keeping his interest to his thoughts and not that of his black and white surroundings.

**There's something very special that happens in this world. It's something that people always seem to be talking about. **

He strolled with great leisure, ears entranced by words spoken around him.

"Did you hear about Haruhi? It happened to her last week when that transfer student entered the class! I'm so happy for her! If only my husband were the same way..."

"Oh, don't worry about it too much. I'm sure you two can still live happily together. You do have two children, after all."

The boy stopped only for a moment, glancing to the gossiping women.

**Maybe they always talk about it because they're jealous. It's stated to be the highest form of happiness anyone can achieve. **

** That's something to be jealous about, right?**

This child, when he had his fill of staring, decided to continue along his path. He skipped over the gray steps, not minding a small cat he saw along his way. After all, he was going to be late again. Makoto was usually the one to wake him up, but he had come down with a rather harsh fever. That would mean only one troublesome thing for this boy upon his arrival to school.

The child picked his eyes from the ground, shifting them to the school gates in the distance. It was then he saw the black and white kid whom he could always expect to wait for him. This nuisance seemed to notice the boy, as a smile formed to his razor teeth. He ran towards his friend, stopping mere inches from slamming into him.

"Haru! I thought you would never come!" Rin laughed wildly, slapping a hand onto Haruka's back. The solid motion sent the schoolboy forward several steps. He glared.

"I wouldn't have if Makoto hadn't dragged himself from bed to wake me up." He sighed at his friend's overbearance. He wasn't a child.

"That's right. Makoto's sick, isn't he? I guess that means I get you all to myself today! Hey, let's go swimming together after school, okay?" He laughed loduly, leading Haru towards the gates.

**It's something that doesn't always happen to a person. It's a once in a lifetime event that everyone can always remember. It changes their world, after all. **

Haru glared to the black and white surrounding him, ignoring the annoying child dragging him inside the gray school. His blue eyes reflected a certain anger that only the 'special' ones could see.

_But it still hasn't happened to me. _


	2. HaruRin 2

A certain pair of pupils stared out their classroom, not caring to hear the teacher's words. They glanced all about, not staying to one detail for very long. They traced over the swing set.

_Blank._

Over the adjacent building.

_Blank. _

Over several walking students.

_Blank. _

"Watcha' doin', Haru?" A voice stopped this child from his boring recollection. He looked back over to his classmate, an unimpressed glare stopping at Rin.

The smile this worrisome boy always held was looking back at Haru as it usually did. Perhaps with Makoto's absence, Rin was just a bit more bored. He seemed to be reflecting this unused energy onto the closest source; Haru.

Despite the attention Rin wanted, Haru chose to focus more onto the two students across the room. He eyed the small girl and boy, watching their laughs. They talked aimlessly. About what, Haru couldn't really be sure. The two were inseparable from the moment they saw each other. That was usually how it went.

Haru had known the girl's name before, but had long forgotten such useless information. Perhaps he had wanted to forget. After all, she had said those horrible words to him.

_You have such pretty blue eyes, Haru! I bet you can't wait to see them, too!_

His glare deepened.

How could she say such a horrible thing while a smile stuck to her face? It was almost as though she was taunting him and all those less fortunate than the childish couple. They had just gotten lucky in meeting each other so young, after all. Did that make them any better than the others? Why did they smile so much more, as if they knew something the others didn't?

**They say that when you meet your ****soul mate****, the normally black and white world changes more than anyone could have ever known. Everything blooms in colors no one could ever imagine, and all because of them. They say you truly start living when you find that person. However, sometimes people never meet that person, and sometimes it's only one-sided. **

_All I want is to see this world in the colors I never thought were there. I want to see what water really looks like with my __**own **__eyes. I don't want to just live my life, being told what something does or doesn't resemble. _

"Haru?" Rin interrupted the fish boy's thoughts once again, sticking his face in the supposedly blue eyes' way. Haru blinked several times.

"What?" He acknowledged the nuisance simply to stop his mindless chattering. Maybe he would be able to stare emptily when Rin was sated.

Rin put a small pout to his face.

"You haven't forgotten, have you? We're going to swim in the pool after this, right? You haven't seen me swim before, have you? I'm so fast! If we ever raced each other, I know I would win!"

There was only one answer to such a statement.

Haru turned his head.

"I only swim Free."

"That's okay." Rin piped up quickly, succeeding in turning his friend's head. The funny child smiled loudly.

"I swim Free, too!"

* * *

There weren't any lessons or practice to be held in the empty pool, so the children had the large space all to themselves for the time being. Of course, Rin rushed ahead of Haru, not minding the black and white signs warning of a slippery floor. His body moved towards the blocks, the boy eager to start the race.

"C'mon, Haru!" His shouts didn't quicken Haru's steps in the slightest. Actually, they did quite the opposite. The child looked down to the water, seeing nothing but gray lines. Those were the lines he loved so very much, yearned to be drowned in for an eternity. When would he be able to see them as they really were? What exactly was blue? Was it everything he had always imagined?

"Haru! Hurry up!"

"Stop being so loud." Haru's response willed only a pout to appear to Rin's face. However, this expression quickly disappeared as he realized his friend was stepping to his adjacent block. Haru's eyes hidden behind the goggles narrowed as he faced the water.

Rin took only a moment to snap the strand of his goggles before getting into a similar slant as his competitor. They looked across the pool to a ticking clock. The black and white face read several seconds before the start of the next minute.

_Tick._

The slightly moving pool stared back to Haru in hushed excitement.

_Tock._

Rin's eyes shifted to his left to the friend he had so eagerly wanted to race. He smiled wider, glancing back to the clock.

_Tick. _

"Go!" The shout was almost too loud for Haru's ears to handle. Nonetheless, his first instinct was to swallow a large chunk of air before diving headfirst into the cool and welcoming water he had grown up with. It flowed around him, ushering a happy welcome with each movement of his body. He carved himself an opening in the bright blue, pushing his hand, his head, his body, into the friendly liquid. In three strokes the boy turned his head, breathing in the sweet air filled to the brim with chlorine. For some reason, he always found such a high concentrate of the chemical to be the best to supply his body in any race. It was then that Haru lie his head back to the gentle pillow of blue. He soon realized the wall was fast approaching.

Shoving himself farther into the gel, the boy somersaulted in the low gravity. His feet connected with the white-tiled floor, touching the orange lines only to propel himself forward. The rushing sensation that approached felt more personal than any wind on a summer day could hope to become. His body moved efficiently, curving like a dolphin would. When he finally broke the surface of the water, he resumed in the stroke he had started not long ago. His peach colored fingers dove into the water, creating a temporary streamline for the rushing water to flow against.

In was only in these conditions that Haru felt truly content with the world as well as himself.

The end of the race loomed not far in the distance. However, something caught Haru completely off-guard. The eyes in his goggles widened suddenly, his stroke slowing down just before he reached the wall. His position straightened in the water, allowing only his kicking feet to support him. Haru's eyes flicked about, never staying to one area for very long. He stripped the goggles from his eyes, staring to the water he was in.

Rin's hand slamming to the wall was the resounding sound that pushed confidence into the rascal's heart. His smirk showed off his hard breaths and overall confidence. He turned to face Haru only to realize the boy had stopped just short. Rin approached, leaning to the separators of the lanes. He stared into the shining blue eyes Haru now possessed.

"Haru, what's a matter-"

This question was cut off by the Haru's hand. It reached forward, grabbing only a loose strand of Rin's hair. The fish-boy swallowed hard as he stared to this thick strand. Several minutes passed by before his shaking words exited his mouth.

"I-Is this red? I don't know if this is... The pool, I think they call it blue." He marveled in Rin's hair, mouth gaping at the simple treasure.

He hadn't noticed when it had happened, but the moment that he had dived into the pool... Had he seen the colors he had been searching for, and just not realized it until after the race?

_I don't understand. I've swam in this pool dozens of times. I've- I've even swam in this lane before. Why is this happening now? What changed to make this-_

Rin's smile became unavoidable. His shining red eyes pulled Haru's royal blue pupils towards them, locking the two in eye contact. It was only then that Haruka realized not pool water, but tears had been flowing from Rin's eyes. The shark laughed, wiping them with his hand.

"I'm glad! You can see them too, Haru? I'm so happy. It happened a while ago for me, but I didn't really tell anyone. You've seemed so sad recently. Is that why? Was it because you couldn't see them? Aren't they pretty?"

Haru's mouth seemed to gape just a bit at this comment.

_Is... He..? No, that couldn't be. When I saw him the first time, nothing happened. Why is it..? Now..?_

Rin pointed to the bottom of the pool, his crimson eyes following.

"That line around the dolphin is what they call 'orange'. I hear that when you tell the teacher you can see em', they start to teach you all about the different kinds. Did you know there are these things called 'shades?' It's like a different color of one color. Kinda confusing, huh? Oh, and there's also this one thing called 'hue'..."

Rin chattered endlessly, finger pointed to the ground and tracing over the various shades and hues he mumbled about. His white teeth would come out every so often when he especially liked a topic or color he would state. Despite the sight he wished to show his friend, Haru never glanced down. His royal blue eyes, the eyes he had been told were so pretty, remained glued to the boy in front of him. His beating heart resounded in a thick red, pumping pink to his cheeks. He swallowed hard.

Rin glanced back up, noticing the blush on his friend's cheeks. He stared on in confusion.

"What is it? Oh, yeah, I was wondering. Who did you see walking by? Didn't we close the doors on our way in? No one should have been able to..." Rin's eyebrows furrowed slowly, his eyes narrowing to Haru in confusion. A sudden 'click' seemed to erupt from his head, as his cheeks began to turn red as well. The boy backed away from the separator, his hair dropping from Haru's hand.

Rin's sudden movement also seemed to distract him from his treading. He slipped under the water for a moment, thrashing to regain his upright position. He finally decided to lean to the floating line behind him, cheeks still very red with embarrassment. He looked away quickly.

"I-um.. I... I mean... It _did_ happen when I walked into your class, but there were so many people, I didn't know who it was. No one else seemed to react, so I just figured maybe it was, well, that type of one-sided stuff everyone's always putting down. I didn't think-I mean-I didn't know that it could be delayed or anything. I just-um.. Uh..." He stumbled through his words, not sure what to say.

The same couldn't be said for Haru.

"I hadn't seen you swim before. It happened when I saw you dive into the water, when we raced. Rin."

**And sometimes when one person is seen as their true self for the very first time, such a thing can happen. **

Rin swallowed hard, mimicking Haru from not too long ago. He faced the royal blue eyes, feeling their weight drag him downwards.

"So.. W-What do we do?"

That was one question he didn't have an answer for. The two boys stared to each other, their newly-presented information still fresh to their minds, an explosion of color just around them.

And perhaps they didn't need an answer.


	3. HaruRin 3

"I'm..." A voice echoed through the warm night, darting towards a sole listener. It stuttered for a moment, not sure of itself. He didn't want to say these words. How was it that they hurt _physically _to say? The boy sighed. When he had finally worked up enough confidence, the voice revived itself to a mere whisper.

"I'm going to Australia now, Haru. I'm leaving."

He closed his eyes tightly, hand squeezing his bag closer into his chest. He couldn't bare to see the reaction of his friend. What would he say? How would he react?

The blue eyed child opened his mouth to speak, but words would not flow. They stood silently, Haru's tongue twitching with the words he couldn't think to say.

It had all happened so quickly. _Too _quick. Why had he decided to tell them the _day_ that he was going to leave? Why hadn't he given them more of a warning to his departure? Didn't they at least deserve that much? Was a quick goodbye all his friends were worth?

Haru's knuckles began to turn white, his head pointed towards the ground.

That was the last relay they would ever swim in together. That was the last time he would be reminded of the day Rin burst his world with color. How was that fair?

A gentle wind puffed out the unzipped jacket Haru wore. His swimsuit flashed from underneath, reminding himself of the last times he was having at this moment.

Had he already witnessed the last of the smiles he always secretly waited for? After all, Rin wouldn't look at him. He couldn't see the first pair of vibrant eyes he had ever looked into. They were closed tightly, much like the boy himself.

"Rin-"

"Haru, please..." The red-haired child picked his head up steadily, tracing it towards Haru. A painful smile filled his lips.

"Just... Don't say anything... There's nothing.." His grip on his bag loosened, dropping to his side. Rin took a deep sigh as he rubbed his neck.

"There's nothing to say. I don't know if this is the last time we'll swim together, but-"

"What about the colors, Rin?" Haru cut his friend off from his thought, bringing up a topic they had not discussed in some time. They had just left it as it was, figuring it wasn't that big of a deal. What if he could never find out what it all meant? What if Rin left before Haru got his answers?

Haru took a step towards Rin.

"What about what they say? If you leave, then what's going to happen? What will happen to the both of us?"

_Absence makes the heart grow fonder, huh? What about the other thing they say about soul mates and distance? What __did they call i__t?_

**Color Blindness. **

The world that had been so vibrant in his friend's presence would grow duller and grayer with each day passing. The water he would gaze at for hours would be reduced to the harsh and cruel slop of lines with no depth or emotion. How could he go back after Rin had shown him so much? How could Rin go back?

The child whipped his head sideways, turning his whole body away from Haru. His eyes once again found themselves staring to the ground.

"I don't know what will happen, Haru. Hey," Rin traced his foot in a small circle, trying to shake off the blue set of pupils on his back.

"What if it was... You know, just a fluke? What if we really aren't meant for each other? I mean, two guys?" A nervous laugh billowed in his throat.

"How stupid is that? What would my dad say? Or our swim team?"

The blue eyes set upon his best friend widened slowly in the words capable of shaking a world of thousands of colors to simple strokes of a pencil. The slight sniffing he heard was soon accompanied by Rin raising his hand to his nose.

"I-I mean, let's get serious, Haru. We would n-never..." The childish tears he tried to wipe away only smeared further across the boy's face. He tried swallowing, but the lump in his throat wouldn't disappear. It felt as though he was beginning to drown. The water he had loved for so long was dragging him down into a bottomless pit that only became darker and darker, draining all color from the world he had grown to love. With the person he loved the most.

Rin's legs gave out, dropping the boy to his knees. His pitiful stare towards the ground grew blurrier as he continued to cry. The tears streamed down, dropping to the ground and wetting the soil. His fist connected with the earth as he slid down further.

"Damn it! Why!? I thought I had decided what I wanted to do! I thought I knew what was going to make me happy! This isn't... This isn't it..." His head slowly made contact with the dirt. Rin shut his eyes tightly.

"Why..?"

Haru stood still, unknowing on what he should do. Nothing he could do would change the fact that Rin was leaving. His best friend was going to Australia whether he now wanted to or not. The fish boy reflected for a moment, taking in the scene around him. He glanced upwards, eying the cherry tree still not in bloom. Behind the bare branches flashed a sunset of oranges, reds, and yellows. Clouds intermingled in this frenzy, bouncing the colors into different shades until they all ultimately reached their inception point. Haru's eyes narrowed nostalgically.

The sun never seemed to shine so brilliantly.

"Rin." It was a commanding voice that picked this boy's head up. It was only now that he realized the ground Haru had covered in the short time he had gone blind. Haruka now sat next to him, eying him deeply. Rin could only sniff.

"There isn't anything you can do about it; You're leaving." Haru stated plainly, and as he usually did.

Rin's eyes widened, unsure of where he was going with this.

Fish boy looked around, eyes adjusting to the scenery around him.

"And we're not going to see each other for a long time. Everything will fade to black and white like before we met. But there is one thing that you can do." Haru glanced back, a faint smile on his face.

"You can keep swimming until the day we meet again. You can become better at what you love. You can become the best. But lastly," Haru leaned into his friend, setting a soft kiss to his lips. Several seconds passed before he decided to retract back to his position.

Defying all logic, red eyes widened even larger in size as they stared back. A redness occupied his cheeks as he heard the words Haru uttered with a fleeting laugh of his.

"You can beat me, Rin."


	4. HaruRin 4

_Water. It's the color of the vast sky on calm afternoons. It rumbles in the ocean, never ceasing to wave back and forth, streaming up into the sand and back to the eternal blackness of its depths. It used to stare back at me, ushering me to dive in, and push myself beyond my breaking point. It welcomed me into c__al__m waters and encouraged me in the rage of a typhoon. __I couldn't stop myself from craving for the rush of excitement coming from the blue liquid. But now..._

The teenage boy sat in his black and white bath, staring at the dolphin idly floating in his water. The lines of this water were tame and nonspeaking. This narrowed his blank eyes into sadness. He reached out a finger, bobbing the toy in the gray waters.

_Now I don't know what I want. _

"Haru!" The loud boom of a familiar voice did little to snap Haru from his mind. His pupils shifted slightly towards the entrance of the bathroom, eying the teenager standing in the frame.

Makoto Tachibana, a second year and longtime friend of Haru's stood halfway into his bathroom, a light smile to his face. Haru knew the green color of his eyes from a long time ago, but all sense of that had faded.

Makoto gave a small chuckle to his friend.

"What?" Haru asked, dropping his arm back into the water.

Makoto shook off his action, black and white hair shifting over his gray eyes. He approached calmly. As usual, the boy extended a hand towards Haru.

"I guess I just shouldn't have been surprised to find you in here, Haru-chan."

Haru stared up for many seconds, glaring at the teenager. Finding a sigh, he took Makoto's hand to steady himself with.

"Don't call me Chan." The gray lines of water rushed from his lap, spilling back into the tub. He placed a single foot onto the mat, not minding the drops of liquid flying to the floor. Water was usually all around his house, anyway. What did it matter if he slipped? Maybe a bruise, but the alternate action of cleaning it up seemed to be too much trouble. Haru strode past Makoto at a brisk pace.

"So I figure if we leave in a few minutes, we can make it just a bit early to look for-What are you doing!?" He was interrupted in the midst of his statement by the sight in front of him.

The still-wet boy had found the room to dress himself, but only an apron had been tied. It covered the front of his wet chest, but any muscles streamed from the side, distracting Makoto for a moment. He recovered, walking to his friend.

"Haru! We have to get going-"

"After breakfast." The fish boy gripped his spatula with a certain determination. He strolled towards the grill, dumping the feast to sizzle and shrink. He shoved the fish, eying the browning skin.

"And what is for breakfast?" Makoto sighed, deciding there was no way to force Haru from any previous habits. He sat back to the table, eyes narrowed.

"Mackerel."

He spoke in sequence with Haruka, knowing full-well what was for breakfast. And for lunch. And for dinner. Just how was it that this guy didn't get tired of the salty fish? Was he really a dolphin as Nagisa called him?

Too much pressure was put on the fish's neck, snapping it from the body. Haru furrowed his brows with annoyance.

"Why did you ask if you knew?" He flipped a mackerel, marveling in the thick black grill marks. If he remembered correctly, it was a silverish color with maybe a few splashes of brown. Nonetheless, he held the fish towards Makoto.

"Are they cooked yet?" He asked, locking eyes with his friend.

Makoto rose from his seat to offer guidance of the cooking. He approached the knife Haru had dropped, and using it to peak inside the fish, he shook his head.

"Not quite. See how the color isn't opaque yet? You need it to be translucent towards the center while still remaining somewhat opaque on the outside. Did you get a different brand? This looks pretty different from usual." He kept his eyes to the ribs of the fish, giving a confused expression.

"Why did you ask me, anyway? You can usually tell when the fish is cooked pretty well." Makoto glanced back up to Haru only to find the teenager already glaring at him. This only intensified the confusion on his face. He smiled nervously.

"What? What is it-"

_Oh. _A single word went through Makoto's mind as he figured out the reason for his friend's anger. He backed away, hand reaching towards his bag and feet starting towards the door. Makoto smiled, laughing with fear.

"W-We should probably get to school-"

However, Haru was too fast for his friend. He sidestepped, stopping the teen from walking any closer to the door. In this moment, his blue eyes stared deeply into Makoto. The intense aqua had the suspicious individual swallowing hard.

"When?" Haru's question came out as more of a demand than an optional statement. Nonetheless, Makoto didn't seem anymore inclined to answer it without a fight. He flashed his pupils downwards, rubbing an awkward hand on his neck.

The two kept to this stand-off for many minutes, neither deciding to bend to the other's will. It was only when a very dramatic event occurred that Makoto's pupils were drawn back to the teen in front of him. His eyes widened, his hand stretching forward.

"Haru! Your apron! It's on fire!"

Haruka Nanase provided none of his attention towards this distraction, merely whipping the piece of clothing off as he did with any. His eyes remained glued to Makoto, not leaving any fun or silliness to the situation. He repeated the question once more.

"Makoto, when did it happen?"  
Haru had indeed purchased a new brand of mackerel. The new fish were exactly the same as the last except for one very identifiable difference. The new fish, as described on the package, were white instead of silver. The color blindness that afflicted Haru couldn't tell the difference between the very similar products, but one able to see such colors could spot the difference from a distance. He had noticed something off with Makoto for a while, but only now had he fallen for such a small trap.

With no way to avoid his friend's question, Makoto resolved to answer. He glanced away, a small smile to his face.

"I guess I really gave myself away, didn't I? And I had been doing so well!" He laughed to himself. A sad smile soon replaced his laugh, though. He looked to Haru, sighing.

"Well, I guess you really can't hide anything from your friends. Actually, it was a really long time ago that it happened. Years."

Haru reflected this for a moment. How had Makoto hidden it all this time? _Why? _Was he embarrassed of that person?

"Why?"

No, he really didn't care who it was. That was Makoto's business. The only thing he happened to be angry about was the fact that Mako had hidden this from him all this time.

Makoto shook his head.

"It was one-sided. I see that person a lot, and I really don't think I have a chance at all. I guess I'm just happy that I can still see color and I get to see that person be happy, even if it's without me." He laughed pitifully that instantly made Haru regret ever asking.

The colors that Makoto was seeing weren't something to make him happy. They only reminded him of a person he could never have, but love from a distance. How did anyone think that was fair? Why did only he have such strong feelings? Why couldn't it be a requited love?

Haru nodded slowly, feeling quite angry at himself for even asking.

"What's that smell?" Makoto abandoned the topic to sniff into the air. He glanced behind Haru, eyes once again widening.

It took only a moment for the fear to rush over Haruka. His eyes widened, mouth gaping.

"The mackerel-"

"Oh, it's all burnt, Haru! Can't you just throw it out?"

"Mackerel..."

"Haru..."


	5. ReiGisa

The gentle rushing of a spring breeze cut through this early morning tram, chilling the occupants through and through. Of course, they should have been used to it, but who could really be ready for such a rude awakening? Among this crowd was a track star, or so they called him. He stood alone, eyes absorbed into his book. After all, what other beautiful thing was there to look at? At least the wondrous calculations and algorithms could distract him from the morning's shipment of students. Though, in all honesty, he wasn't one to talk. He _was _a first year, after all. He needed to remain courteous to his upperclassmen and hopefully get rather chummy with them.

Rei sighed.

How he hated the ugly scenery of the school, of the students, and most of all, himself. He was gray, though the labels on his clothes read quite differently. How could he believe them that these pieces of fabric were really the combination of yellow and blue? He had no proof to go by, and even the idea of such a thing was foreign to his calculative mind. Really? There was something more beautiful than algebra? More elegant than a perfectly drawn right angle? Preposterous.

Rei's eyes shifted towards the window of the vehicle. He stared out, eyes narrowed.

Maybe he just didn't want to admit he had been missing out on something.

"Hey, Rei, what period do you have lun-"

"Excuse me, this is my stop." Any contact that he could have made with his classmates was dropped by the freshman as the tram slowed to a stop. He exhaled, pushing himself off the vehicle and into the sunny day. Everything became slightly whiter than before as the star shined deeply onto him. Rei chose to ignore this, instead focusing on adjusting his backpack.

He had pledged himself to run the last leg of the ride to school. It would help him keep in shape until track, anyway. Though, the club wasn't too far off, so he truly didn't need to overexert himself. Perhaps he just liked running by the flowers, imagining what could possibly come from the combination of such a thing as red and white. Red seemed to be a rather vibrant color. At least, that was how he had read it as.

_Three base colors make up the entire tree of hues and shades. Red, yellow, and blue. When mixed, they become what is known as secondary colors which are once again mixed with primary colors to create tertiary colors. Tertiary colors are named by two words, such as blue-green and yellow-orange._

Ever since hearing of these amazing things called, 'colors,' the young Rei had taken it upon himself to investigate as far as he could. He memorized every name, reading how they reacted with one another, and even which clashed with which. Yes, you could call it his secret pleasure.

The hopping stride of this track star was rhythmic, his arms swinging in time and perfect form kept through each pounding of his shoes. Anyone looking on could have called such a thing nothing less than beautiful. But was it really? Were the things he did beautiful? Could they even compare to the colors he had never seen?

The pulling of the tram attracted Rei's huffing breath. He turned his head, eyes tracing towards the vehicle pulling slowly forward. In a short time, the hunk of metal would pass him, leaving Rei as the solitary human in a mile's radius.

He gazed further in, seeing a single head among others he had overlooked. For some odd reason, he couldn't lift his gaze from this individual. Rei narrowed his eyes for a moment.

_What is..?_

It was at that moment that a splash of something Rei had never seen before willed itself to appear. It started at this person, spreading all throughout the scene in front of him. It spread like blood through a vein, infecting objects and plants, even the sky. All motion slowed down, and even with all this activity around him, Rei could only keep his focus on _him. _

It had all originated from a single stranger wearing a happy smile aimed not at Rei, but at another on the same tram. His blonde hair whipped in the open window, sending the short-cut bangs over his dark pink eyes. He laughed, tucking his hand into his beige sweater to contain the giggles.

Rei's stride stopped, his blue eyes wide with amazement. With no forward action, the tram rolled forward onto its destination. The wind it caused billowed nearby flowers, giving the teenager sight to the combination of vibrant red and passive white. Several petals danced towards him, and he even managed to catch one.

Rei stared down, breaths slowing to a whisper. His furrowed eyebrows kept his pupils to the petal, but his attention dwindled to that of his skin. From what he had read, 98.5% of Japanese were a color called peach, and he assumed himself to be the very same. Looking down, he couldn't quite think what else it could be called. Honestly, he couldn't think of very much at all with all the information racing through his mind. Rei glanced up.

Blue skys were only interrupted by the occasional cloud rolling by. It was a light shade of blue, he figured. His blue eyes kept to the clouds, admiring the blue of the first morning he had ever seen in color.

_This is..._

He smiled.

_Beautiful._

There was only one detail that had the boy second guessing. He once again furrowed his eyebrows. Rei rubbed his chin in deep thought. He reviewed a rather recent text he had discovered in his parents' room.

'_An absence of color is an affliction plaguing us all from birth. We are unable to tell the difference between the colors deemed, 'bright,' as we are only able to witness black, white, and mostly gray. Only one cure has been found for this illness, and it is a primal one. It is meant to ensure a pure bloodline, as well as safe and respectful relationships. When one individual sees the one they are meant to share their life with, color becomes visible to them. It is a mysterious psychological phenomeno__n unsolved to this day...'_

Rei's hand dropped to his side. The expression wore off from his face, only replaced with that of horror. He fell to his knees, gazing only at the gray cement.

_N-No, this can't be! That was a guy, I'm sure of it! H-How could this happen!? This is supposed to ensure a pure bloodline, but two guys can't..._

His teeth ground together as he gripped his head in fear.

"This isn't..." He bolted his head up, screaming at heaven itself.

"TWO GUYS AREN'T BEAUTIFUL AT ALL!"

And so tells the story of how Rei Ryugazaki was late to the first day of his freshman class.


	6. ReiGisa 2

_Why exactly am I doing this..?_

Standing firm against the wall was this very stealthy first-year. He leaned his back into the white-colored area, straining to see past the passing groups of people and the wall itself. His blue eyes scrunched together as he managed to form a colorful image of the individual he was staring to. Rei sighed slightly at the strange looks he was receiving. He didn't really care to form relationships with any of those in his class, so what was the point in trying to impress them? He was on a mission, after all.

Rei straightened his glasses with a single hand.

_Nagisa Hazuki; A __first__-year with the birthday of August 1__st__. His sign is Leo and he weighs exactly 55 kg. His height ranges from anywhere of 160 to 170 cm. He is attempting to reform a past swim club of this school, and his specialty is the breaststroke, a stroke in which the swimmer is positioned on his back and the torso does not rotate. It is a stroke normally meant for slow swimmers on account of its low speed. Often referred to as the 'frog' stroke, it is thought to be the oldest of any swimming strokes. _

Rei completed his analysis, a frown coming to his face. He turned back to the safety behind his wall.

_And he's my soul mate? I'd like to have a word with the person who thought of this joke. He may look rather girlish, but that doesn't mean-Wait..._

Rei glanced back around, narrowing his eyes.

_Could it be? That girlish face and speech, the unusually cute strawberry blonde hair... Is she cross dressing as a male? It would make sense after all. _

He nodded, smiling.

_Yes, that has to be it! After all, no system meant to ensure pure and safe bloodlines would match two members of the same sex! She's confused, and that confusion is being placed into her clothing choice and behavior. It's the only possible explanation. __And her name is so feminine, how had I not noticed that in the first place?_

_So that would explain my attraction upon seeing her. It was the spur of the moment, and perhaps my subconscious had been influenced just a bit by the new colors. I have no choice but to accept her, as she __**is **__my soul mate._

Rei nodded a final time to himself, convincing his pliable mind further. There had to be no other explanation, right? There couldn't possibly be a flaw in the system to make such a beautiful thing tarnished with a defect.

Rei kicked himself off the wall.

_And now I shall introduce myself properly. The moment her eyes cross to me, she'll see the beautiful colors she had given me. It'll be beautiful. _

Rei started his stride forward, confidence fueling his thick steps.

"Ryugazaki?" A voice cut the young teen from any movement, willing his eyes to glance to the side.

Golden eyes stared back at him above a calm smile. The older teen looked with a small amount of amusement at his junior.

"Captain?" Rei asked, not quite sure why the main figure of the track team was talking to him, of all people. Had he heard of his middle school exploits on the team? Or maybe he saw Rei's name on the sign-up sheet and became curious of the first-year. Either way, the star member of the team with short black hair stared to him with a certain friendliness about him.

"I couldn't help but notice your name on the list. I've heard about your interest in pole-vaulting, and I'm quite interested. Are you planning on eating your lunch alone?" The captain held up his boxed lunch, motioning for Rei to follow. He began his walk with no listen of his answer.

"I'm honored, captain, but-"

"You know, I'm surprised, Ryugazaki." He must not have heard the underclassman's complaints, as the track captain turned back, laughing slightly.

"You seem a great deal more mature than first-years usually are. I'm glad to know we'll have such a serious member on the track team."

How could he leave so easily if he had been complimented by of all people, the **track captain**? Rei had no choice but to follow along, his pupils glancing back only once to view the person he had hoped to spend his lunch with. But that individual, too, had disappeared. He was left to stare to the ground in defeat, wondering just where Nagisa had decided to jump off to.


	7. HaruRin 5

"G-Ghosts really pay attention to all that superstition stuff?" Makoto's shaking skyscraper of a body stood behind the rather indifferent Haru. He gazed to Nagisa, awaiting the answer that would most likely terrify him even more. He was usually rather unrelenting when it came to teasing Makoto's fears. Now didn't seem to be an exception, as he stopped suddenly with nay a word coming from his mouth.

"N-Nagisa?" Makoto whispered in fright. Was possession really possible?

The flashlight Nagisa held in his hands elongated the shadows of his features, showcasing a truly horrendous expression to which he slowly showed Makoto. The face glimmering in the dark sent a shiver up the teen's spine. He cowered further behind the fish boy, a groan of terror escaping his lips.

"Nagisa..?"

"Nagisa is gone." His chilling phrase and dead eyes struck a chord with Makoto. He yelped as his grip on Haru's shoulders increased.

It was only when the blonde saw this reaction did he laugh. His smile occupied the light of the flashlight, telling Makoto a cruel joke had been played on him.

"Come on, Nagisa! You shouldn't tease us like that. Right, Haru?" He turned to his blockade for support, but only indifferent blue eyes stared up. The light flashed under his chin, shadowing his pupils to a fine black.

"Who's Haru?" He whispered in return.  
"Oh come on! Guys, stop! Please! We're here to look around!"

Loud noises of high schoolers long past their elementary years sounded in the decrepit building. They resounded throughout the abandoned shelter, making their way to a set of ears not so keen to listen. In turn, a scowl set upon his face.

_Don't tell me-_

Crimson eyes narrowed in annoyance. The teen sighed deeply. Picking himself from his crouched position, he began a stride towards the originating point of the voices. He knew three bumbling fools would most likely not be far away, which slowed his steps considerably.

Haru would be there, he knew.

What could he say? What exactly did he feel? Anger? Annoyance? Rin couldn't really be sure. There was only one thing he could truly be sure of. It was something he had known for a very long time and kept very close to himself, no matter what sort of wall he bumped into. You could say it was the one thing that kept him going, even if he didn't participate professionally in swimming.

And then there were the colors. It was something Haru had commented upon his vacation from Australia so many years ago, the time he had been beaten so easily by the boy who claimed to hold no interest in time or beating the clock.

_**I can't see them anymore, Rin. **__**When I look at you, **__**I can't see the colors anymore. **_

__But why could Rin? Why could Rin see those horribly bright colors when Haru couldn't? Was it the world making fun of him? Had the relationship somehow become one-sided?

__Perhaps Haru's phrase had hurt him more than losing the race. What did it mean? Was it some sort of fluke that it had happened in the first place? What about all the nights they had stayed awake, just pointing to the different colors or one they particularly liked? Was it all for nothing?

Maybe it would all be easier if it was. He wouldn't have anything to distract him if everything was black and white like it used to be. That being said...

He furrowed his brows.

Why did he feel so conflicted?

He wanted to be with Haru and his friends, but when he felt so close to them like this, only a burning hatred willed to his voice. He was annoyed at them. He hated them.

But he didn't want to leave them.

Rin's heavy steps pounded down the small hallway, turning the heads of the three friends he had abandoned. Their heads turned down the lone hallway, spotting the man immediately.  
Rin glanced up from under the brim of his hat, eyes directly pointed towards Haru. After so many years of black and white, an explosion of color radiated from this boy, shaking the dark world to dull versions of the colors he had usually seen in bright sunlight. Rin stared on, crimson eyes narrowing.

Blue eyes widened at the sight of the gray hat and black outline of hair. The person he had not seen in many years now stood before him, slouched and clothed heavily. Haru's opened eyes soon narrowed as he realized just what this meant.

As it had happened before, no color had shown itself upon Rin's arrival. Black and white stayed just as it had, mocking him with the memory of happy red eyes he so wanted to see.

Nothing...

Haru lowered his gaze as if shame stole him.

Nothing had changed...

"Rin-chan!" Nagisa smiled at the sight of his old comrade. This expression seemed infectious, as a small smile set upon Makoto's lips as well. He straightened his posture from behind Haru as if he were not seen before.

However, Rin made no such move to express happiness. He stuck his hands to his pockets, glaring at the dark pink, green, and blue pupils that were now set to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, plainly skipping past 'hello' and heading straight to his question. He didn't want to seem as though he cared enough to ask them how well they were doing. They might get the wrong idea.

Nagisa piped up, laugh accompanying his words.

"We're the same as you, Rin-chan! We wanted to see the swim club before they tore it down too-"

"That's not why I'm here." Rin's interruption left the entire scene quiet. His red eyes skimmed across the dirty ground, searching past rubble before he once again found himself staring to Haru. His eyebrows furrowed intensely.

"Nanase." He spoke a single word, still succeeding in willing the indifferent face to meet his.

"I challenge you to a race. If I win, you need to give me the answer. No lies or sidesteps this time, either."

Rin bringing up this old topic widened Haruka's eyes. He tightened his fists in anticipation. His slightly gaped mouth resented the topic and the question. He had never thought Rin would bring it up again, as it caused such a huge rift between the two in the first place.

"Haru, what's he talking about? What answer?" Makoto and Nagisa felt just a tad left out of the conversation. What on Earth were the two going on about?

"And what if I win?" Haru took a step away from the group supporting him. This was not a topic they needed to know about.

_As if he'll win. _Rin sighed to himself, wondering just what was equal to the question he had been waiting to ask for so long.

"I won't ask about it again. I'll forget about it." As if that were possible. That question and its answer would haunt him to his grave. At least he knew Haru would be speaking soon.  
Nanase nodded.

"Fine."


	8. HaruRin 6

"I can't believe you two almost jumped into the pool!" Nagisa's drink of juice was interrupted only by his loud-laughing statement. He let out a small sigh before falling back onto the ground. The overhead sky was a pretty clear white, he noted. Only several times would a gray cloud interrupt the scenery and shatter the pure image. He smiled at this for a moment, reveling in the nice day they had been given.

Makoto sighed as well, though he expressed more of an annoyance than relief.

"I knew it would be empty. I'm glad we were able to stop you when we did." He could only imagine the mess if they had decided to dive in head-first. That wouldn't have been a pleasant experience for anyone.

Haru remained quiet, eyes stuck to a single blade of gray grass. It billowed slightly in the afternoon breeze, which in turn ruffled his hair. He could only narrow his eyes as if remembering something.

_** No lies or sidesteps this time, either.**_

Nagisa seemed noticed his friend's grimace, as he shot up to an upright position in order to offer a smile. Maybe he would be able to lift his friend's soggy mood.

"It was nice seeing Rin-chan again after so long. He's changed a lot though, don't you think, Haru?"

Haru either didn't seem to notice the words, or simply didn't care to answer, as his gaze remained the same with no words coming from his mouth. It was then that Makoto decided he would prefer to discuss a topic pertaining to the prior night. His smile dropped as a more serious shine took to his eyes.

"Haru, what were you and Rin talking about? What question?"

It was something Haru knew they would bring up eventually. Perhaps in the strength of the daylight he could find the words to tell them. His eyes took towards the distance, watching a trio of friends laughing and eating. Their smiles rang high, flashing white every once and while.

"Rin... He asked me a question right before he left. We were walking towards the station when he decided to ask it. I... I didn't have an answer for him, and he didn't like it. He kept asking me over and over again, but I couldn't say anything. We left on bad terms." Haru's eyes once again narrowed to the friends. He wondered for a moment if they were able to see any color, and if that was the reason for their apparent joy.

Makoto furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What did he ask you?"  
Haru scratched his head, the memory now directly in his sights. He didn't want to remember such a horrible day, but there it was again, rearing its head at the worst of times.

"He asked..."

* * *

"Haru." The two who had began to walk stopped as the red-haired boy ceased his steps. He stared forward for several moments, feet tapping in anticipation. Though he had no sight of the friend behind him, he knew the blue eyes would be staring intently.

"Haru..." He repeated once again, hand tightening around the strap of his bag. Taking a large breath, Rin turned back to meet the icy cold gaze.

"Do you love me?"

The small preteen with black hair froze at these words, indifferent eyes widening in the intensity and severity for the question. His mouth gaped slightly, yet no words found themselves appearing. Had Rin really decided to ask him such a thing? And at _this _moment?

What _was _love? He knew of parental devotion and friendship close enough to blood, but was that what Rin was talking about? Or was he asking of the other kind? Was he finally admitting what happened with the colors wasn't a silly mistake to laugh about? How could Haru be sure that was what was happening?

He furrowed his brows, shaking his head.

"Rin, what do you-"

"I meant exactly as I said; Do you love me, Haruka?" He cut Haru off once again, determined to squeeze an answer out of him. His eyes cut down half size, almost as if he could glare an answer out of his soul mate.

But the problem was, Haru didn't understand the question. Moreover, he didn't understand the type of love Rin seemed to be talking about. They were still so young that this was a topic he had never thought about. He was immature and couldn't be sure that this kind of love existed. Was the type he was thinking of the same that Rin was feeling? Or did Rin feel that way at all? He had never told Haru of his devotion to him; he had only asked a question. What if Haru answered 'yes,' only to find out Rin didn't feel the slightest thing towards him? What if they misunderstood the others' intentions? There were far too many things stirring around in this boy's head for him to give a clear-cut answer, especially knowing that Rin would be leaving not far from then. How _did _he feel?

Haru's eyes drifted downwards, his bangs covering his pupils.

"I... I don't know..." He admitted shamefully.

The spark of interest in Rin's eyes was set aflame. He stepped towards his friend, teeth grinding.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'!? What is that supposed to mean!? Do you love me or not?" It was as though someone had taken hold of the friend Haru had known and forced him to say such strange things.

Haru shook his head, only repeating for lack of thought.

"I don't kn-"

"To hell you don't know!" A glare appeared on Rin's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words appeared to his stammering lips. He decided to turn back, as he was unable to face his friend. His crossed arms squeezed the sleeves of his jacket tightly.

"You... Don't know..." He growled.

Of course Haru didn't know. He never thought about anything deeper than the pool he swam in. It was probably all just a joke to him, the 'soul mates' thing. Rin wasn't anything more to him than an annoying swimmer set upon a stolen dream.

Angry tears built up in Rin's eyes. He turned back, scowl facing directly at the boy still avoiding his gaze. His hand reached out, pushing Haru several feet backwards. Nanase took this, not daring to glance up.

"Then maybe you better figure it out!" A contempt-filled scream came from Rin's lips as he turned on his heel. He began to run, disappearing into the color-filled scene to leave the cold-eyed boy all alone.

Four words echoed through his clear mind, sending the rest of his thoughts into the depths of his head.

Haru closed his eyes.

**Do you love me? **

There was only one statement he could think to answer, and those words would have upset Rin even more.

.. _Do I..?_


	9. HaruRin 7

"Wow, Haru-chan, you never told us that! I guess I should have expected it, though!" Nagisa's laughs only filled the air after the rather sudden confession. After all, the two boys had no idea of the sort of relationship between the two.

Nagisa turned to Makoto with a large smile to his face.

"Rin and Haru were always together, after all. Rin would always tag along, no matter what Haru said!" He chuckled again at the memory.

A small smile appeared to Makoto's face. He nodded along, seeming to agree with no enthusiasm.

**Wasn't I always with Haru, too? Didn't you notice me always with him, even before Rin was in the picture? **

The thoughts plaguing this teen's mind shook off the smile on his face. His green eyes narrowed to a point, staring to a similar shade of grass. Never did the color seem to dull as now.

**Wasn't I too irreplaceable to Haru..? I'm not so sure about now...**

Haru noticed his friend's gesture, and he offered a small confused expression.

"Makoto-"

"I should probably throw the napkins out. Are you done with your juice, Nagisa?" Before any words could flow from the fish boy's mouth, a usual smile harshing cold winters appeared to Makoto's face. He bolted up, looking down to the two as he gathered their trash.

"Oh, yeah. Here." Nagisa giving the cardboard box over was all Makoto needed to start his exit. His feet pounded against the grass in a swift motion, crushing the blades still yearning for a summer sun. His only goal was forward, eyes unable to glance up from the dirt he eyed.

Rounding a corner, Makoto slammed his back to the wall. His tightening fists crushed the juice box in his hand, spilling the small amount of liquid that had not been drank. The clear juice trailed down his clenched fist, dripping to the ground.

**After all the time I've spent with him, never pushing him to act on my sake, he still decides that Rin's the better choice? He still thinks about Rin more than he turns to me? He doesn't even need to say it. I can see it. I just can. **

Makoto's cold eyes narrowed pitifully.

**I had convinced myself all this time spent just at his side was enough. When did I become so hopelessly selfish..?**


	10. HaruKoto (SMUT)

"Haru! Haru, we need to get ready for school!" Makoto once again issued his loud booming voice into the house often plagued by silence. After all, the only residence found good hobbies in soaking himself until he resembled a raisin. Sure, it was better than other habits, but Makoto couldn't help from sighing and smiling when he thought of Haru's free time being spent in doing such a thing.

Makoto stepped further into the house, moving the cloth blocking the bathroom's entrance. He traced his eyes towards the tub, finding a smile in seeing the darkened water. The submerged boy was late as always, it seemed. At least Makoto could find predictability in that.

Makoto approached, reaching out a hand to his friend. He could see the stinging blue eyes just below the surface staring up to him. He offered a smile to Haru, laughing just a bit.

Haru reached up to grab the hand, instead going for Makoto's wrist. He yanked roughly, pulling his head only several inches above the surface of the water and Makoto's further down. It was in this moment that he was able to lock lips with his friend. He forced his tongue around Makoto's mouth, feeling around in the shocked teen's mouth. He continued with his forced kiss, huffs of breath escaping from the slight space between his tongue and Makoto's lips.

Makoto's green eyes widened. He reared his head back, leaving only a trail of saliva linking the two. He could only stare down in shock, blush spread across his cheeks from the sudden act. He stumbled with his words, only to find himself aroused beyond them. Haru's bare chest rose in excitement, his breaths hot and heavy over his contact. It was only when he began to rise from the water did Makoto find room to move.

The teen stumbled backwards, hitting the wall opposite the bath. He laughed nervously, not sure what to make of this. Of course, for the longest time, this was the only thing he had wanted. When he realized it was Haru destined to be his soul mate, the only thing he had wanted was contact with his close friend. He was starved for it, imagining it without even knowing it. But this... He was not ready for this.

"H-Haru, what has... W-What has gotten into you.?" He managed to say. It wasn't the most intelligible of things, but it put his shock into perspective.

Haruka Nanase stepped out of his tub, the water from his bath rushing off of his body staining his mat. He paid no attention to this, simply focusing on his strides forward. It was at this moment that Makoto felt rather intimidated from his shorter friend. Just seconds from having himself pinned to the wall, he side-stepped Haru. Makoto laughed again, nervousness running through the fake chuckle. He backed himself to the tub, still facing Haru.

"H-Haru, why are you doing this? You're not acting yourself." His declaration only pushed Haru's steps faster towards him. It was as if he had never moved in only several strides. Haru looked up to Makoto, his hips pinning him to the tub's side. They stabbed into Makoto's thighs, rubbing his pants. Haru reached both hands around Makoto's head, staring up into his green eyes. Stepping onto the tip of his toes, he lessened the distance between their faces. He narrowed his blue pupils slowly, closing them before once again making contact with Makoto's lips. However, this time his kiss was soft and almost innocent.

Makoto paused with this action, reveling in the soft lips he had always wondered about for afar. His eyes slowly closed as he became lost in the action. Never had he thought he would be able to experience them like this. Now that he knew just how much he had been missing...

Makoto's hands reached from his sides towards Haru's back, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He leaned himself closer to the shorter teen.

How could he give up something like this?

Haru readjusted himself, leaning farther into the bulge forming at Makoto's waist. He grinded slowly, stopping only when his lover pulled away.

Makoto's eyes narrowed in confusion. He winced slightly in the thought of his tender lower half growing harder. He smiled nervously, almost unsure of what the two were doing.

"We need to get to school, H-Haru-"

"You're worried about getting to school? Idiot.." Haruka didn't seem to care of Makoto's complaints, as he pulled the idiot's head down for another kiss. This rougher version of the last shoved Haru's moving head sliding across the slick lips, his tongue slowly entering Makoto's mouth again. Tachibana became absorbed in this action, forgetting of his previous statement and joining the french kiss. He swirled his pink membrane in Haru's mouth, not sure what he was searching for. It was only when Haru began to suck did Makoto truly start to grind back.

The saliva leaving the small space between their kiss rounded around his chin, dropping to Haru's still wet body.

Haru's hands loosened from their grip around Makoto's neck as they swung back to his side. He caressed the belt around Makoto's hips, still intently focused upon his kiss. It was only when the two retracted from one another to get air did Haru start to put more effort into undoing Makoto's belt.

"Haru..." He uttered between huffed breaths. His eyes stared down to his pants, seeing only the bulge Haru would poke every once and while, sending a shock up his spine.

Makoto watched with hot breaths as the belt was stripped from around his waist and Haru unbuttoned his pants. Hours passed as Haru pulled down the zipper, and even more before he reached his hand into the school uniform. Makoto's sight was cut off once again as Haru moved his tongue back into his throat. He could feel the hot breaths resonating from inside his mouth, and he could practically taste the hot skin he kept in a tight grip.

Despite not being able to see past his own pleasure, Makoto could feel every movement in his pants. Haru had pulled his bulge from his pants, revealing it to the room.

Sweaty fingers gripped his cock tightly, yet with a certain amount of maneuverability. His movements started off slow, pumping around the hard phallus with determination. The soft fingers were an electric shock, sending pre-cum trailing from the length. Using this liquid as a lube, Haru pumped his hand harder and faster around Makoto's revealed cock. This action sent more of a hurry to Makoto, fueling his hot breaths and traveling tongue. He moaned, vibrating the inside of Haru's mouth and the boy's tongue.  
So many times had he thought of doing such a thing, but never had he worked past his own embarrassment to touch himself. Shame had overtaken him over the thought of imagining his friend doing such a thing. Makoto had never known just how euphoric it could be, though.

As Haru left his mouth once again, Makoto found his shaking words, the words he had always wanted to say. He twitched with each movement of the hand on his cock, and his eyes began to water, but a smile remained to his face.

"I-I-Haru, you have no idea... This-Makes me-So happy. I've never said it, but.." He inhaled sharply at the stabbing blue eyes staring to him. The cute blush on Haru's cheeks and his revealed fast-pumping chest made his heart race faster than it ever had before.

_All the times I've seen you, wanted to hold and protect you, it all comes down to my immense love. I love you, Haru! I love you more than anyone else. You colored my world so brightly with colors that reflect only you. How could I let you slip away from me? How could I settle for anyone else..?_

Makoto laughed, tears trailing down his cheeks to join the un-wiped mixture of their saliva.

"I love you! So much-Ahhh..." He was cut off once again by his lover's increased speed. However, this was too much for Makoto to handle. He squeezed his eyes shut, entire body tensing in preparation for the immense release of pleasure. In this moment, he felt a light kiss to his lips, and opening his eyes, he found the blue even closer than before. Haru summoned a small smile that Makoto would only see out of the corner of his eye, but for the first time, the expression was pointed directly at him. The small action was because of _him. _

"It's okay, Makoto. I love you too."

Those words were the only thing he had wanted to hear in the world. They showed him exactly what everything meant, and erased anything bad that may have happened to him.

The grip Haru held on Makoto began to weaken as the membrane twitched, shooting out white. The cum streamed across Haru's hand, and even made its way onto the floor. It was only then did Makoto find time to relax. He sighed heavily in exhaustion.

To be honest, he felt overly tired. His entire body relaxed, making any movement impossible. The image of a bathroom ceiling filled his vision as he ended up belly-up on the floor. His uneven breaths became deep and long, almost as if the boy were falling asleep.

_What is.. Happening to me..? _Makoto asked himself. His vision wavered as black began creeping in from all angles. With this new behavior, the teen was able to figure out exactly what was happening. He tried to pick himself up to no avail. He was immobilized. Nothing would work. The only thing Makoto could do was stare forward, wide eyes beginning to fill with tears.

_No.. Please, no... I thought everything had began to work out! I thought I could finally become as happy as I could be.. But with this happening..._

A face loomed over him, staring with the same indifferent eyes as they always did. The cold blue began to blur, as did the scene of the bathroom.

"Haru!" Makoto yelled out desperately. He threw himself forward, not moving a single inch. This action only strengthened his grip on the ground, which in turn sent more tears to his eyes.

"Haru! Haru! HARU!" He screamed at the unblinking blur of a person.

_Please don't tell me... _He sobbed.

Makoto's eyes began to close as his will flickered. The exhaustion plaguing him was just too much to overcome. A heavy black settled to his sight.

_That this is...?_

Makoto Tachibana awoke with a start. He sat up, heavy breaths resounding throughout his room. Tears stained his cheeks, drying to the skin. The darkness of his bedroom crept into his sight, and just with this image, he realized his prediction had been true.

Makoto's expression morphed to that of sadness. His eyebrows furrowed harshly as his stare settled to that of his bedspread.

It had all been a dream.

Haru didn't love him the way he did. There were no requited feelings to be spoken of. Only a loneliness that often gripped him.

He grabbed his knees closer, pulling himself into a pitiful ball. The tears that had stopped upon his awakening now began to overcome him again. His shoulders bounded in the darkness over the life he wished were true.

_I just... I just love him... So much...So much that it hurts not having him with me. I just wanted him to keep coloring my world brighter and brighter. By the time I realized it was far too bright for me to even see him, it was already too late. Why..?_

Makoto settled to this small ball, unable to move just as he had been paralyzed in his dream. Perhaps now loneliness and solitude held just a tighter grip onto his black and white heart.


	11. ReiGisa 3

_How could this be? Is there some sort of problem?_

Indignant thoughts rustled through this outwardly silent first-year's mind. His blue eyes narrowed to the book in his hand, though he was doing anything but reading. Truth be told, he was quite annoyed.

The cause of Rei's annoyance was most likely the blonde-haired girl sitting directly in front of him. The cross-dresser, as he labeled her, had not said a single word to him. Her blank smile faced the window, ignoring. Meanwhile, Rei was being torn to pieces.

_She must be playing hard-to-get. After all, she sees the colors, too, right? I mean, there's not really any reason why she wouldn't. But, if she doesn't... _

His eyes narrowed with more sadness than anger.

_What if she doesn't..?_

"Ryugazaki-kun?" A single voice shattered any thoughts may have held. His eyes traced downwards, finally meeting with the happy smile and bright pink eyes. The colors around them seemed to become just a little more defined in that moment, though Rei didn't truly notice. He shoved his book higher, covering his reddening cheeks.

"W-What is it?" He said with a rather mean tone. After all, he was still waiting for his rather eccentric soul mate to make the first move and fall into his arms. How beautiful that moment would be.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to join the swim club. I already asked before, but-"

"This is my stop. I apologize, but goodbye."

The doors opening allowed Rei a quick escape. He gripped his bag with hard determination as he strode out of the shuttle. Walking even faster, he secured a hidden place behind a nearby corner. Surely he would be out of sight here.

Rei's back made contact with the wall rather harshly, rattling his glasses. Staring towards the ground, a hot huff escaped his breath. The book held in his hand now plummeted towards the concrete as he lost the will to hang onto it. His hand now took hold of his red cheeks, squeezing the skin.

_What the hell is this..? Why couldn't I say anything to her? Does this ridiculous phenomenon really screw with hormones this much?_

Letting out a large sigh, Rei placed his head to the wall, eyes glancing towards the infinitely blue sky overhead. No clouds seemed to occupy the light color, and that just dropped his hopes lower. Seeing anything with such beautiful color only accomplished one thing for the teen.

It only reminded him of Nagisa.


	12. HaruKoto END

Dark green eyes stared down to the ground, tracing over various bumps in the street he walked down. Several unrecognizable stains flashed by him, but the second-year paid no attention to this. He continued along, narrowed eyes feeling a sense of sadness.

_That dream last night... _

Just the thought of his sleepless night brought an aching chill to Makoto. He tightened his grip on the bag he held. His knuckles turned white, but he wasn't paying attention. After all, the house from his nightmare was just ahead. He would have to face a similar circumstance, but he couldn't be sure what outcome he would prefer.

Obviously, he was close to bursting with the many years he had spent holding back. His heart ached, and smiling seemed to be a chore, especially when anyone mentioned Rin, but... He couldn't keep it up. If the dream from last night had taught him anything, it was that he could no longer hide the deep emotions he had. He couldn't deny that he loved Haru.

And so, Makoto had decided for himself that today would be the day. It was as good as any other, wasn't it?

But what... What if Haru didn't feel the same way? Could they keep being friends? Would anything be the same as it was? Would they be able to spend lazy afternoons together, just hanging out and chatting (Though it seemed to be Makoto talking more than Haru...)? Could he handle his life if the most important thing was thrown out of it?

But what happened if Haru _did _accept him? What would everyone else think? His parents, siblings, even Nagisa? Even more... Was he ready to be in such a serious relationship? Wouldn't he just take advantage of Haru? There would be no way he could hold back if Haru reciprocated his feelings.

Makoto was afraid of what he would do.

Either way he looked, there were problems. Just why did he need to have that dream? Why did it need to stir him even more than the news of Rin being Haru's soul mate? Makoto let out a rather sour smile.

_At least Haru doesn't see him as that anymore. At least Haru can't see the colors when he looks at Rin. _

It took only a moment for Makoto to realize his cruel thought. An expression of pain dawned upon him as he stopped his steps.

He shouldn't feel happy that Haru could no longer see anything. It was a horrible thing to have happen, and everyone despised the day it ultimately would. He shouldn't have just a bit of hope for himself while Haru was in the dark. But then...

_Why do I feel so happy, then? _

Makoto bit his lip.

_I'm horrible for feeling this way. If Haru's the one I love, I should want to see him happy, even if it's with someone else. I'm __completely __hopeless._

Despite such weak feelings, Makoto found himself at the backdoor of the boy he loved. He cringed for a moment.

He wished he could disappear, but that was a thought that was even more impossible than his reciprocated feelings. He had to face Haru eventually. Makoto swallowed hard before taking a step inside.

"H-Haru!" His voice wavered in the redness of his cheeks. He was shaking, his legs were weak, and his breathing was heavy. He had to be a real sight to see.

No response came from the bathroom, which was usually a response in its own. Perhaps he would have preferred Haru to appear. At least it would save him the trouble of stumbling down the hallway like an idiot.

Makoto started his shaky steps towards the bathroom, and ending up just outside of the room, he stopped. He paused, eyes staring down to the ground and mouth agape.

_This is... So stupid. What am I doing? I can't just tell him... The timing is wrong and I'm just forcing myself onto hi-_

"Makoto?" The splashing of water shook the boy's nerves. He jumped, taking a step backwards. With his teeth clenched, Makoto fumbled over making a decision. His eyes glanced towards the door, eying it rather thankfully. He had an escape plan.

"Makoto, is that you?" Haruka asked again. It was strange that the giant hadn't entered the bathroom already. He usually took no time in invading Haru's private room. Not like he was revealing himself or anything. The usual swimsuit clung to his bottom.

Makoto took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Forcing a smile to his face, he shoved himself into the restroom. He avoided the deep blue eyes staring straight into him.

"Y-yeah, I'm here." He silently yelled at himself for the quiver present in his voice.

A long silence passed between the two. Only the faint dripping of water from Haru's hair interrupted the lack of noise, but even this sound did not cover the awkward atmosphere.

Makoto's avoiding gaze willed Haru's eyes to narrow. He stood from the bath.

"Mako-"

"Haru, I-" Was all that came out. Those words hung in the air as green pupils finally touched a concerned blue.

Makoto dropped his bag, sighing. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't begin to explain anything to Haru. He couldn't handle not knowing what he was thinking. Those blue eyes expressed genuine concern, but what would happen when Makoto opened his mouth? What horrored expression would crush his dreams?

The blonde swallowed hard.

"Haru, there's something... Something I want to..." His words trailed off before even one coherent sentence could be formed.

_I'm not doing this. I __**can't **__do this. I don't care if __I confused him, but I __**can't.**_

Makoto shook his head suddenly. A smile of pain appeared on his face to usher away any of Haru's concerns. His foot pivoted on the ground, angling his body towards the door. A step willed him forward.

"Never mind, Haru. It's nothing. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to school today. I... Don't feel well."

That was an understatement. He was burning up and the blush on his cheeks told everyone around him. His breathing was uneven, and everything seemed wrong. Wrong enough to scare Haru. He lunged towards Makoto, grabbing the boy's wrist.

"Makoto-"

Haru had seen him do it again. Makoto was always forcing smiles. He always wanted others to believe everything was fine even when he was ready to die on the inside. Not many could see it, but Haru was getting better. He always wanted to make sure he was not being lied to in order to hurt his friend. Perhaps that was the worst thing he could think of. If only Makoto wasn't so hardy and let Haru know when something was bothering him.

Running away and putting on a brave face never solved anything.

Haruka pulled back on Makoto's wrist, whipping him back around to face him. He was never really good at lying, especially to someone's face. Maybe he could get an answer now.

However, instead of avoiding eyes or even turning his head, Makoto acted as though Haruka never would have expected him to. Leaning down, the teen shoved his soft lips onto Haru's before he could realize what was happening.

Blue eyes widened in confusion over the sudden and drastic action. He froze in his spot, unable to react in the least. It was almost as if someone had taken over his friend in order to get him to act this way. Was this Makoto? Were the eyes closed tightly and trembling hands the same teen he had known so well?

Haru wasn't so sure anymore.

Pulling away, Makoto shifted his now open eyes towards the ground.

"Haru, I... For so long, I... I love you. You're my soul mate. I know it." He exhaled slowly in the minimal amount of reaction from his best friend. He had told himself not to expect anything, but then why was he confessing in the first place?

Haru's head dropped along with his grip on Makoto's wrist. His bangs covered his face, leaving Makoto in the dark over his expression. Was he happy? Disgusted?

"Haru... How do you.. How do you feel about me?" He needed to know. He was shaking from the excitement of his actual kiss, but on the inside, he was storming over the possibilities.

Haruka didn't reply. His blue eyes stuck to the floor, head still pointed away from Makoto's heavy gaze.

_What does he want me to answer? Does he want me to be honest? Or to lie and spare his feelings? Why did he do this..?_

_ "_Makoto, you're..." Haru lifted his head, locking eyes with the gray pupils. He offered a small smile of his, a very rare smile that seemed almost sad.

"You are a very important person to me. You're dependable and I can always rely on you to do your best. While I don't..." His smile faded as the punch-line escaped his lips.

"I don't feel that way about you, I can't imagine life without you. You're irreplaceable to me, Makoto. Nothing would be the same without you. I don't want to leave you, but I don't want to feel tied down to you in that way. I couldn't swim the same without you. Okay?" Haru exhaled as if to end his reply. With such horrible words out, he looked up for the depressed expression on Makoto's face.

However, Makoto was full of surprises. Despite such a rejection, a smile still stuck to his face. Not an expression meant to make others feel at ease, but a real and raw smile. His eyes were tearing, but not a hint of malice was present.

Makoto laughed to himself before nodding.

"Okay, Haru."

_**It's not the answer I wanted...**_

__With such an odd conversation out of the way, Haru shifted back to regular routine. He shuffled out of the room with the same blank expression.

__"I'm getting dressed."

"Alright. We do have school, after all. Sorry for wasting so much time."

"Whatever."

_**And maybe I'm not as happy as I could be, but...**_

__"Haru!? Why are you putting on an apron! We're seriously going to be late!"  
_**But I still get to know I'm not just anyone else to him. I'm special and irreplaceable. Nothing else could make me feel happy while still getting rejected. Even more...**_

__"We're having Mackeral."

__"Don't turn on the grill! Get your uniform on, Haru!"

_** I don't have to lose the light of my life. And I'm happy just knowing that. **_


	13. HaruRin 8

"We've already gotten in trouble for trespassing before. I don't understand why we're here." Makoto expressed his thoughts with a groan, though Haru didn't seem to be paying attention. His sight was ahead, focusing on the reappearing swim house. They had left to wait for nightfall, which didn't seem to come soon enough.

Nagisa approached, smile reassuring his friend.

"We're here to see Rin-chan! And don't worry, Mako-chan! They won't catch us, I promise!" He raised his hands almost as if he were entering a fighting club.

"I'll use my special Iwatobi-chan moves on anyone that sees us! They'll never remember we were even here." He laughed at the expression of worry coming across Makoto's face. Racing ahead, Nagisa avoided the nagging words of the mother-like figure.

"You can't do that, Nagisa! We'll get in even more trouble!" Perhaps the captain took things a bit too seriously most of the time. Nonetheless, the two caught up to Nagisa in no time. Several minutes passed and the pool was open to the trio.

Showering in from above was a milky moonlight that caught the attention of the still water. It basked in the slight glow, driving off any darkness that may try to appear with the lack of electricity. It stared up to the blue-eyed teen, enticing him with the stillness and serenity he would gain by diving in. Beautifully silent water would fill his ears, drowning out everything else. It would cushion him, letting him drift off to a state not quite in sleep, but not quite awake. He could disappear, if only for a moment.

"Haru, wait-"

Words drifted off into the night, bouncing off of Haruka as he stripped. His swimsuit kept hidden under his uniform was now in full view, showing his friends of his anticipation.

Taking a few steps forward, Haru increased his speed in the matter of seconds. The moving moon in the ripples followed him, smiling as he approached. It was in this moment that the boy dove into the circle in the water. His hands were first in feeling the cool liquid, followed shortly by his arms and head. A splash shook the surface tension of the pool, and everything fell silent.

The boy sunk deeper and deeper into the cool water, the light disappearing from his closed eyelids. It was only when Haru opened them did he realize the extent of his isolation.

The fish boy glanced upwards, past his billowing hair.

While the water was as clear as he had seen it, everything lie blurry at the surface. The windows from above showed him only a blob of white surrounded by smaller circles of light. It darkened as he drifted further down, growing dimmer and dimmer in the darkness.

Haru closed his eyes again.

_I wonder... _

The weight of the world dropped from his shoulders in this moment, as it usually did when he was swimming. Peace took hold of him, but even so, the same question stuck to his coattails.

_Will I see Rin tonight? _

"Oi!" A loud-shouted word worked its way past the water, opening Haru's eyes wide. His mouth gaped in the familiarity.

The teen darted his head upwards, sensing another blob looking down to the rippled waves. The darkened shape stared down with Red eyes, glaring to the blue pupils. He could identify this person merely by voice alone.

_Rin. _

Surfacing from his hole deep in the center of the world, Haru found the company of three individuals, two of which who had joined him in the pool. Their smiles did not dip as they, too, sensed the ominous teen standing above.

"Rin-chan-"

"What the hell are you doing here?" His voice was not as friendly as Nagisa's. Annoyance was hidden in the sharp tone. He glared down to the duo, only glancing over to Haru when the boy approached.

His avoiding eyes stared down to the water, unable to glance up. Even so, he spoke words that had Rin guessing.

"The answer..." Haru breathed, finally able to face the truth. He had made his mind up, and now was the time to give Rin his answer.

Red eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

Haru's pupils traced upwards, locking with Rin's and showing his seriousness.

"I have an answer, if you can win the race." Increasing his volume, his words finally reached Rin. The teen's demeanor changed in an instant.

An arrogance took hold of Rin, shifting his head to a slight tilt. A smirk touched his lips as a laugh escaped between them. He narrowed his eyes to a much finer point.

"_If? _That's real funny, Haru."

Gripping his belt buckle, Rin yanked his pants from his body. His shirt was next, ending up somewhere across the room. With these annoyances gone, the boy slammed his foot to the starting block. His arm leaned his body weight onto it with his fierce competitive nature showing in true colors.

"I **know **I'll get my answer tonight. You better be ready."


	14. HaruRin 9

The moonlight that had been so melancholy before was now electrified with the prospect of a competitive race. It highlighted two teens facing a large expanse of water. The rays gazed down at them, waiting for the moment Makoto would call the start of their race.

"You know, Haru," Rin piped up, eyes glancing to the side. His smirk drove straight into the fish boy, seeming more arrogant than ever.

"There'll be no getting out of it this time. You'd really be able to give me your answer in front of all your friends?"

Haru's eyes narrowed in return. Rin was just egging him on, trying to get him to react. How he would love to wipe that smile off of his face.

"You guys ready?" Makoto's voice refocused both parties back to the looming pool in front of them. They stared the water down, getting ready for the words that would propel their legs off of the block, and drive their arms into the cool liquid just below.

Haru's determined expression dwindled for just a moment, his confidence shaken. He was distracted by a memory rearing its head above the race. It was a memory of a red haired little boy, seriousness plaguing his usual happy demeanor.

**Do you love me, Haru?**

"GO!" His thoughts shattered into shards of glass, dropping into the water as his body dove in. Once again, he was welcomed by the motherly and warm feeling of water, but something else seemed to swim along side of him. Electricity pumped through his veins, fueling his fast moving arms and legs. They pumped through the gray water, sending ripples that competed with his competitor's waves.

Haru closed his eyes, focus failing once again.

**What do you mean you don't know!? **

He tried to ignore the anger and pain in the voice, but it resurfaced once again.

**What is that supposed to mean?**

Haru dove deeper into the water, feet connecting with the wall of the pool. Putting his weight onto his lower half, he propelled himself forward.

**Then maybe you better figure it out!**

_But I have figured it out, Rin. I know the answer to your question. _

The light from the sky overhead cast shadows dancing over the water. It reached Haru's opening eyes as they made contact with the growing wall. The end of the race loomed in the distance, but this time he didn't stop. No colors shone in the black around him, and perhaps this narrowed his eyes just a bit in disappointment.

Haru lifted his head from the water, eye staring down to the black and white surface. Water dripped from his hair, sending ripples to the dead liquid. It no longer shone as if it were alive, but it stood there, unable to climb up. It wasn't alive.

"You did it, Rin." Haru's eyes shifted to his side, making contact with wide red eyes. Could Rin see the emptiness in his eyes? The disappointment?

"You lived up to the promise; you beat me." But why did that make Haru feel horrible?

Any joy from winning was stripped from Rin's pupils. The light left, only replaced with a film of darkness.

"What the hell did you say?"

His hand yanked at Haru's goggles, dragging the boy slightly upwards. It was here in this hostile position that they remained, both unable to convey any words to another.

It only took those few words for Rin to realize just how much of a win this wasn't. Having Haru in this type of poor condition, _and _saying those words seemed to be a slap on the face. Even so, blue eyes kept their stare pointed at the red Haru could not see.

_It's almost funny. Now that I know the answer, I'm not sure I would even be able to tell him. I don't think he would be able to handle it. _Haru thought silently to himself. Should he just come out and say it now? Would it be best to say it now that Rin was so angry?

"Rin-"

_ "_Hey, who's in here!?" 

Makoto stepped forward, eyes wide with excitement and terror. There was no time to worry about disrupting the precarious situation and feelings between the two.

"Guys, we've got to go! Someone's here!"

Rin's grip on Haru's goggles weakened, dropping the plastic cups. Shrugging the friends off, the shark boy pulled himself from the pool.

Haru wasn't quick to follow, but with a helping hand from Makoto, the boy was being rushed to a nearby exit. He glanced backwards, eyes skimming across the darkening scenery for a slim figure.

Shining in the milky moonlight was a friend from a long time ago. He stood almost as if none could see him; with a slouch that Haru had never really seen before. It was hopeless, and full of shame, but also swelling with a pride that didn't allow the teen to do anything about his ill-actions. It was there the figure gradually disappeared, overtaken by the darkness streaming in like water. It swirled around, erasing the very old, and very cherished friend that had been changed to an unrecognizable state.


	15. HaruRin 10

A cold spring wind whipped through the school's outer swimming pool. Though there didn't happen to be any water in the four walls, three swimmers were busily working to restore their favorite activity. It would be a long grueling task, but with enough perseverance, they could be swimming to their hearts' content.

Haruka knelt next to Nagisa, eyes focused purely on the wall ahead of him. His paintbrush stroked the gray wall, as he relied purely on the directions written on the can and marked pencil lines on the tiles. The can stated that a deep blue was the paint that smeared to his fingers and dribbled down the brush, though he couldn't really believe it. He had seen blue before, and nothing so gray could ever be such a beautiful hue.

"Haru-chan!" Nagisa's voice interrupted any thoughts swirling in the fish boy's mind. He glanced to his side, coming face to face with a wide smile and gray splotches across a normally very white face. Nagisa wasn't being as careful as he should with the paint.

"We're going to go eat now. Are you coming?" His laugh rang out in the air, bouncing off of Haru.

The fish boy stared to his friend for a few moments, measuring the words. His disinterest was apparent in the way he turned his head and resumed his task.

"No." The word seemed to brush Nagisa off, but not before a knowing smile.

The little blondie and almost everyone else had noticed the carefulness Haru was pouring into the restoration of the pool. He was nearly unapproachable, as most words just bounced off of him. Only questions aroused an answer, but those were usually were only quick shakes of the head or short responses. He was absorbed, heart and soul.

But was it really because of the task at hand?

"Haru."

Makoto's voice froze the hand Haru had been using to paint the wall. His eyes slowly closed over the obvious seriousness hidden in the tone. He knew this conversation would start sometime today, though he hadn't been sure just who would be the one to ask. It was only now that he realized Makoto would have been the only obvious choice.

Settling next to his lack of a reply was his best friend. Haru opened his eyes, faced with only dark gray pupils. Curiosity was nestled in the color, but also a certain kindness and understanding that always seemed to be there.

"Haru, you never had a chance to-"

"It has nothing to do with you." He knew the question better than he knew himself. And quite frankly, it wasn't something Makoto should be asking. Haru thought it best to leave it at that.

Makoto's expression contorted to that of hurt.

"Haru, I'm not asking because of.. _That._ I'm asking because I'm concerned. I'm your friend, and I don't want Rin pressuring you into an answer, or a relationship that isn't healthy. You said it yourself, the colors are no longer there. There has to be a reason for it." This sudden statement had Haru looking over to Makoto.

The serious glare in the backstroker's eyes remained for only a few seconds before it ultimately melted into a sad smile.

"And, Haru, because I'm your friend, I don't want you getting hurt over that reason. All of us know that Rin has changed. So maybe we can work together to change him back."  
Eye contact between the two lasted for seconds, conveying thoughts that only close friends could be able to decipher. It was only when another breeze drifted by did Makoto feel his words had sunk in enough to mean something. He stood from his seat, turning his back to walk away.

"Anyway, I wonder what Gou picked up for lunch. Nagisa proba-"

"The answer is 'no.'" Haru's words cut straight through Makoto's verbal thoughts. It whipped Tachibana around in order to better hear. His confused stare rested on Haru's back, watching the muscles contort as the teen started painting again.

"What?" Makoto still wasn't quite sure what Haru was talking about. Was he saying no to lunch?

Haru didn't skip a beat. Even with his slightly narrowed eyes pointed towards the wall, he expressed his honest opinion.

"The answer to Rin's question; It's 'no.' I stopped loving him the moment he changed into a person I didn't know. The moment he started swimming for the wrong reasons." The brush stroke he had started stopped halfway as Haru recollected. He shook his head almost as if he said something wrong.

"But you know, I still love the Rin I used to know. So I guess the answer is both 'yes,' and 'no.' I do and I don't love Rin."

It sounded like an answer Matsuoka would hate to hear, but it was the truth. Haru loved Rin, but he no longer thought that the person he had swam with was the real Rin. It was fake that was masquerading as the old romantic that was quick to both laughter and tears. No matter how Haru looked at it, there was no one he could love more honestly than Rin, yet that person no longer existed.

So did that mean that Haru couldn't love at all anymore?


	16. ReiGisa 4

Leaning against a very convenient wall was a first year deep in thought. Though he had his tracksuit on, and he was ultimately ready to begin his run, his mind refused to allow his feet to move. He touched his lips in deep thought.

_Nagisa wasn't here today. Perhaps she's caught a cold of some sort. I wonder if I could do anything to help... _

Rei's cheeks flashed red in his own embarrassment. He shook his head rapidly as if to deny thinking such a thing.

_O-Of course I mean that in an entirely strategic point of view. It would only make sense to try and help the one nature decided to be my soul mate. How else could I further my line of succession-_

"Rei-chan!" A shout came from his side, stopping his thoughts from their inception. It took Rei only several seconds to adjust and realize the cause of the voice. His body froze.

_What-_

"Please let me run with you, Rei-chan!" Words raced out of Nagisa's mouth in a desperate plea that seemed to assume quite a few too many things. Nonetheless, he conjured deeply embarrassed and confused pupils to finally turn and face him.

Wearing a hideous red tracksuit was the person assigned to Rei Ryugazaki as a soul mate. Now he had no doubt that his love was one-sided. Nagisa had obviously not seen the colors of the outfit he had worn for the day.

Despite this, Rei couldn't help but smile on the inside. Of course he couldn't show such a brash expression to the stranger, but it remained nonetheless. He turned back to the road ahead of him, grin tugging at the corner of his lips. He breathed in to voice his immediate, 'yes,' but a thought stopped him.

_Maybe I should say something to make her want to run with me more... Something original..._

The only knowledge he could pull for such a romantic encounter as this was from a recent book he had been forced to read by a neighbor. Sure, it was an overly exaggerated shoujo manga, (And horribly written, to say the least.) but Rei could remember a scene somewhat similar to this one.

Sighing loud enough for Nagisa to hear, Rei spoke up.

"If you can keep up."

Jogging forward, Rei began a slow stride. It was only when he could hear pounding steps behind him that he increased his pace by a bit.

Despite the fast struggle of steps Nagisa would emit, she began to talk.

"Running like this really brings back memories. I used to run to swimming practice with Haru-chan all the time!" She laughed into the rushing wind beside her.

Rei narrowed his eyes a bit.

_Haru-chan? A friend of hers? _

An even louder giggle filled the scene, invading Rei's ears.

"You know, Haru-chan used to always play it cool and say, 'You can tag along if you can keep up' It was always so corny!"

The shine in Rei's eyes dimmed considerably. The faint ghost of a smile on his face shattered, replaced with only a thick scowl.

_Damn. _Closing his eyes, Rei let out a smaller, more genuine sigh.

_This whole 'courting' thing is more difficult than I thought. Nonetheless, I will not give up!_


	17. ReiGisa 5

With the overwhelming buildings of the school in the near distance, Rei's legs slowed their pace. His breaths rang out heavily in the cool morning air, but such thoughts of this sound were interrupted by the voice of a blonde first year.

Of course, Nagisa seemed even more out of breath than the track runner, but she managed to find the air to speak with a small group gathering around her.

"Haru-chan. Mako-chan.."She huffed at their sudden arrival and confused gazes.

_Haru-chan? _Rei's forward gaze shifted towards the three with sudden interest. Upon landing his eyes upon this 'Haru-chan,' a cold chill ran down his back. A gape appeared to his mouth in the horror of the realization.

_He's a... Guy? Nagisa is friends with a man? _His irrational fear took hold in the shock of the situation. However, Rei was soon back to thinking rationally.

_I-It's probably just me over thinking things... __But even so..._He straightened his glasses.

Nagisa's red face lit up like a sign, smile spreading across her cheeks. She directed this action to Haruka, though Rei couldn't quite see the expression the second year was displaying. For some reason, a small anxiety built up inside him because of this. Before he could realize just where his steps were taking him, Rei broke up the small circle of chatting friends. His pupils immediately went to Haru.

"Are you Haru-chan-san?" He wasn't exactly too keen to meet the individual, but properly addressing him seemed right.

The teen whom had been so highly acclaimed offered a blank stare and empty expression. His blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don't call me 'chan' or 'san.'" Rather than agreeing with the statement, he offered an offensive phrase. Perhaps he didn't notice the tick in Rei's eye, or the scowl forming, as he turned back towards Makoto and Nagisa.

_I can't exactly leave my soul mate with __**him**__. How is Nagisa friends with him? _

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa's attention turned towards Rei at this moment as she realized just who had joined his friends.

Suppressing another smile of satisfaction, Rei addressed the three.

"I am interested in joining your swim team as a trial member." His eyes turned towards the blonde, and seeing the grin grow on her face almost made up for the fact that they were not alone in the moment. Perhaps Rei could gain just a bit of satisfaction in knowing he had been the one to cause his soul mate to smile so largely.

* * *

"A joint practice?"

"Yeah, with Samezuka's swimming team; the one my brother's on. You've never had a joint practice? You're on the track team, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but we've never traveled to any schools just to practice with them. We only travel to participate in meets."

In the time these two had to wait for the swimmers, Rei had started to chat with the red-headed manager. Gou, as he saw her, was rather pleasant to be around. She wasn't as cold as Haru, and not quite as crazy as Nagisa. They spoke of small-talk, but pleasantries about the weather had long passed and now the two sat in a rather awkward silence.

"They really do take a while to change." Gou offered an apologetic smile to the pole-vaulter, but he ultimately ignored the action.

"All of them? I would imagine Nagisa would take the longest." Getting on a woman's swimsuit looked more troublesome than a male's, Rei noted.

Thinking longer, Rei struck up another question.

"Where is Nagisa changing, anyway?" With the added distance of the nearest bathroom, she would probably be ready quite some time after her friends.

Gou offered only a confused stare.

"In the changing room, like everyone else. Why do you think it would be any different?"

Rei's eyes widened at this statement. His head shot towards the changing rooms in the near distance.

_She's in there with two males!? _

Whipping his sight back to Gou, Rei ignored the question and shot for another of his own. His glare of seriousness struck the girl with a harsh ferocity.

"What!? And no one sees anything wrong with that!?"

Gou raised her hands in front of herself almost as if Rei was a wild animal. She gave him a rather scared smile.

"W-Well, they're all friends..."

"That doesn't make it right!" He bolted up from his seat with the strength that could have gone through any ceiling. Starting a sprint, Rei focused on the door of the changing room.

Gathering himself, he nearly ripped the door from its hinges.

"Nagisa!" His shout pierced the three minding their own business, directing their stares towards the door.

Rei looked over the three for a moment before locating the blonde. In realizing she still wore a jacket, he could almost breath a sigh of relief. He had not been too late.

However, a smile only spread to Nagisa's face. He laughed, hand sliding from the sleeve of his jacket.

"Rei-chan, are you alrig-"

"Wait, what are you doing, Nag-"  
The words Rei had spoken in breathless fright were interrupted by the action Nagisa took in stripping herself.

Despite feeling so strongly of having his soul mate not change in front of men, Rei couldn't find the integrity to look away. He watched as the jacket slid from her sculpted body, revealing a stomach smoother and more exotic than he would have thought. The light color of skin began to grow lighter as it revealed the area of the girl not exposed to the sun. Her chest became very evident, as did the shear flatness. No, the shear _absence. _

It was then that Rei caught a glimpse of the area that sent red flying to his cheeks. His eyes grew in size as a gape formed at his dry lips.

Throwing the jacket to the ground, Nagisa realized he was still being watched. He tilted his head in curiosity.

"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" He asked innocently.

_She's not-No, __**HE'S **__not- I mean-I-but, why did- this can't be... _Rei couldn't form an answer. His hand still stuck to the handle of the door dropped to his side as a cool chill rang in from the outside.

Rei dropped to his knees as he was able to rip his pupils off of the swimmer's bare skin. His eyes now stared down, wide from shock and slight disappointment.

"Rei-chan?"

"Nagisa, is he alright?"

"Hurry up and change so we can go."

Ignoring the comments from around, a large sigh slowly seeped from the pole-vaulter's mouth.

_What beautiful nature has decided as my soul mate..._

He looked up, narrowed eyes full of shame and desolation. He met contact with Nagisa, unable to offer any words.

_Is not elegant in the least..._


	18. ReiGisa 6

_This can't be... _Rei didn't show the true disbelief he happened to be feeling. Instead, the teen offered an indifferent expression that wouldn't make anyone question his feelings.

The events of yesterday swirled in his mind. So many things had happened that he felt like it was all a dream. He had gone to a joint practice, attracted the attention of two eccentric second-years, and found out that his soul mate was a male. Worse than that, he could feel the beady little pink pupils stabbing into his back at the very moment. Why hadn't he been the one to sit in the back..?

The bell chimed overhead, announcing the end of the day of school. Normally Rei would have been happy to be able to excuse himself to track practice, but he could already hear the feet pounding towards him.

An arm slammed to Rei's desk, which lead up to the first year it happened to be supporting. The dark-haired teen jumped, eyes shooting to his left.

The colors around Rei seemed to brighten just a bit more as he made contact with Nagisa's dark pink eyes. The smile he wore to his face never seemed to dwindle, but it seemed just a bit more excited today.

"Can we watch you practice again today, Rei-chan?" He was obviously speaking about the group of spies that thought they were sneaky in watching off to the side. In all honesty, they had stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of his late afternoon practice. All of the members of the track team seemed to be complaining about the distraction.

As for Rei, he couldn't figure out just how he felt about it.

Ryugazaki narrowed his eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Are you still going on about having me join the swim team?" He had to admit, he admired the kid's dedication.

Rei stood from his seat, glancing around the class. Perhaps avoiding those large eyes could give him a little more room to think.

"I suppose if you have nothing better to do. I wanted to speak to you afterward, anyway."

Rei's eyes narrowed in sadness.

_This is a joke. There is no reason for my soul mate to be a male. I have to cut this off from the bud and hope nature will find the error in its way. I just can't have this huge distraction in my life. _

Sure, it seemed to be rushing it, but Rei didn't have the patience to sit around and wait to figure out if he could live such a strange life. A soul mate to a guy? Someone was just playing a cruel joke. Not only that, it had been made very clear that his feelings were not reciprocated. Nagisa saw nothing in all of it. Just a black and white pole-vaulter stuck on calculations and formulas.

_But still... _Rei exhaled slowly, unaware of the intent gaze he was receiving from below. Only when Nagisa piped up did he shoot his eyes downwards.

The blonde's usual smile was gone, replaced with a rare serious stare.

"Rei-chan, are you alright?" He tilted his head slowly, narrowing his eyes to match Rei's.

Ryugazaki shot his head away quickly.

"O-Of course. Goodbye." Rei made a quick exit, his textbooks nearly falling from his hands from being yanked so suddenly from the desk. He allowed not another word to flow from his choked throat, neither a glance to skim across the little blondie.

When Rei had successfully exited the classroom, his set his sights towards that of the bathroom. His resounding steps passed a few individuals he knew, but his downward cast eyes offered no expressions of happiness.

Slamming the stall door, Rei collapsed onto the seat of the toilet. His legs dug into the ground, moving several loose floor tiles with the harsh strength. His lowered head that still stared down had become fogged with an overwhelming sadness that he could not explain. Tears blurred his vision, and his throat was clogged. He couldn't choke out any words or thoughts to try and explain himself.

Rei only ran a hand through his hair, shoulders sloped downwards.

_I don't... I don't understand why I'm reacting like this.. The swim club is only a distraction. _

**Isn't that what track is, too? If it isn't, then what is track? Do you plan on ****pole-vaulting professionally?**

_No, I don't. I don't want any of that. _

His silent argument with himself was interrupted only by a steady dripping of the sink. It resounded in the blue room, echoing off the walls and entering the teen fully.

**Then what's the point? You can't even pole-vault right. You're just calculations and big talk. That doesn't impress anyone. **

_But... That's not true. _

**It isn't? **

Gathering part of his composure, Rei took his glasses from his face. He wiped down the clear solid and took the rest of the cloth to clean his cheeks. With this gone, a smile replaced the sorrow he had been feeling.

_**Rei-chan! Are you going to track practice now? Can I come along? Please!**_

___No, it's not true. Not in the least. Despite being so cold and unapproachable..._

_** Aww! No fair! You have shrimp in yours? Wait... I can have some..? Thank you so much, Rei-chan!**_

___Despite being s__uch a terrible person that's obsessed with books rather than people.._

_** Please join the swim club, Rei-chan! It can only be you!**_

___Despite all of that, I still have one person that actually treats me better than I deserve. I managed, against all the odds, to impress the one person that should mean something to me. If that isn't a victory, I don't know what is. ___

___**So what are you going to do, then..?**_

__Rei stood from his seat. His hands touched his tie, straightening the cloth to a better position. With this, he nodded to himself before exiting his hiding hole.

_I'__m going to join the swim team. _


	19. ReiGisa 7

"I expect you to take responsibility!"

_Despite saying that..._

Rei sat to his bed all alone, pillow sitting in his lap. His gaze was downwards, eyes unable to find the confidence to look up, even though he happened to be the only one in the house. It was as if the words he had said in the heat of the moment were now catching up to him without restraint.

The first year tucked his head into the white cushion. His red face pulsed, showing his true embarrassment.

_**Do you want to eat with us, Rei-chan?**_

_** I'm so happy that you finally called me by my first name!**_

___Despite saying that cold thing, I can't get his voice out of my mind... He's crazy, and immature, and nothing that I would want to find in my soul mate, but I __**can't stop thinking about him. **_

__No butterflies swarmed his stomach like a freshly-picked flower. Instead, it only seemed inhabited by cockroaches. They poked and prodded him, swirling his stomach and making him sick.

Rei sighed heavily.

_I have to make a decision, though. I need to be able to handle myself with a specific goal. _

He had always found himself able to get through tough situations when he had a set goal in mind.

But what could that be? He had already learned one swimming style, so practicing with any others seemed to be redundant. He could try and shoot for regionals like everyone else, but that goal was far out of reach. Furthermore, with Nagisa on his mind, it seemed like his goal needed to have to do something with the blondie.

Squeezing the pillow tighter, Rei lifted his head from it. He shifted his pupils around, almost as if he were admitting the truth to the entire planet.

_Maybe I could try __to find out if Nagisa sees everything the same way I do. __I can't trust in the fact that this is one-sided before I even ask him. But I don't want to come out and directly say it..._

Rei shifted towards a laying position on his bed. His eyes skimmed across his ceiling, watching for any movement that would never come. Perhaps he tried to find inspiration across the wooden panels.

_I could... Trick him..? _

Rei's expression contorted to that of disgust.

_No, I don't think that's really something I could do. Wouldn't it be a bit cliched, too? _

Rei flipped onto his stomach, eyes drifting across the pillow he lay on. A sigh escaped his lips slowly.

_I just don't know what to do... I can't imagine the repercussions if he doesn't feel the same in the least. _

Rei closed his eyes, seeing only a large smile and pink eyes staring back to him.

_ How do I know if __**I **__even feel the same..? Love is illogical and impossible, but I'm displaying all of the symptoms... How can I really denounce it if I'm being afflicted? _

His cheeks grew red once again.

_Love is so stupid. _


	20. HaruRin 11

Resounding steps echoed through the swim hall, bouncing off of the tight walls. These steps were not fast in the least, but wished to slow down as they approached the red-haired teen sitting alone. They dreaded to hear the words that would further demean the rotting friendship between the two. However, with several seconds, Haru was only feet from the shark.

"I'm here, just like I promised." Haru looked over with narrowed eyes.

Only the usual smirk laden with arrogance rose to meet him. Rin's gray eyes flared with the aggressiveness and competitiveness that was so like him.

"I would hope so. I did keep my time slow so we'd be in the same heat."

_I was doubting myself when I thought of my answer, Rin. _Haru's indifferent thoughts were directly pointed towards the teenager in front of him, but he could never hear such words. The fish boy narrowed his blue eyes.

_Now I no longer have such doubt. _

"You know, Haru..." Rin stood from his seat, strides working their way towards Haru. In no time, he stood inches from his face. His pointed stare struck deep into the blue eyes he saw. Hopefully the could feel his hate radiating from seeing such colors. They made him sick.

"I never had a chance to get my answer." Rin's laugh seemed anything but friendly.

"It's too late for that now." Haru glanced to the side, hoping he had enough indifference in his pupils and expression. He couldn't let Rin know how uncomfortable he felt in the moment.

The smile on shark boy's face melted to anger. He reached forward, grabbing a chunk of Haru's jacket. With this, he forced his rival to face him.

"What the hell does that mean? Are you trying to get out of the deal?" Poison spit out of his mouth, though Haru ignored it still.

The freestyle swimmer offered no more words. He simply stared forward into the eyes he no longer felt anything for. He didn't have the usual yearning to see a passionate red, as these were not the eyes of a person he wanted to love. It was the impostor that stole his friend away so many years ago. Even more than that, it was the beast he himself had made when his friend returned from Australia just to race him. It was a monster that he needed to starve of its food.

Seeing he would no longer get any reaction, Rin dropped Haru's jacket. He scoffed, turning on his heel.

"Whatever. It's not like I actually care anymore. It was just some stupid thing that happened when we were kids. It was a mistake. I'll see you at the finish, Haru." Rin glanced back, any playfulness in this competition replaced with hate.

"Or rather, I'll watch you finish from the finish line." Rin turned back to his goal, stomping off. He didn't care to spend anymore time with the teenager still avoiding his stare. He was weak; Rin was strong. He couldn't have such small fish bringing him down.

Haru finally picked up his eyes from the ground as his beast was swallowed by the distant shadows. The dark jacket he wore disappeared, along with any trace of him being there. Perhaps the only thing left was the wrinkles he had created on Haru's clothes.

* * *

"Look, it's my brother's and Haru's race!"

"Oh! I can see Haru-chan!"

"They're in adjoining lanes!"

The cheers of the surrounding gray crowd was muffled and obnoxious, though two swimmers in particular couldn't hear a thing beside their own fast heartbeats. It seemed as though they would explode as doubts and year long misunderstanding rushed through the veins. With nothing else to do, the two adjusted their goggles and took their place on the starting block.

_**You'll never understand what this m**__**eans to me, Haru. For all the years I trained and worked to my limit, only to have you, someone who doesn't care about something as important to me as time, beat me... But I can make up for it. If I beat you, it will mean nothing can get in my way. **_

Rin looked to his side, eyes glaring.

_**I can finally move on from the hole you left in my heart that day by tearing a new one in yours. **_

The loud beep of the judges sent the swimmers off of their blocks, sending their arms like knives into the water. They cut deep, diving towards the middle of the pool. It was here that they pumped their legs together, bodies moving like dolphins.

The roaring crowd grew louder as they touched the opposite wall, though nothing swirled in the swimmers' minds except the water trickling in from the cracks. It seemed to clog their minds, focusing their attention merely on burning their muscles out or swinging their legs down in the water. They became machines as their appendages followed a sick and repetitive pattern. Up, down, up, down, up, down, breathe...

Blue eyes peaked through their goggles, yet they saw nothing. Gray swirled the pool, and with this fact, Haru's pupils narrowed in disappointment.

_Will it ever happen again..? _

It was only when the distant wall began to grow that Haru remembered his spot in the race. He cursed himself for slowly down, if only to think for that split second. With the splash of his main competitor next to him, he was reminded of the true severity of the race. Haru resumed his motions, though they improved little.

A hand struck the wall, stopping a red-haired teen from his movements. He reared his head from the water, eyes searching to his side for any hint of his win.

Wide red eyes grew in the realization he was met with. His mouth gaped slightly at the slightly behind individual to his side. It was when he glanced towards the standings board that the true reality hit him square in the chest.

_** I... Won..?**_

Rin formed a smile to his face through his heavily breathing lips. He ripped his goggles from his head, and bringing his hands down, he splashed the water around him.

"Yes!"

The electricity of the crowd finally hit Rin. With those around him cheering him on, he found more than enough strength to lift himself from the pool. It was now that he was looking down at the boy responsible for breaking his heart that he felt more in control than ever. It was only now that he could issue the words that he would see horror and hurt follow them.

"Haru." He yelled downwards, seeing the clear water drip from his blue head of hair. Aqua eyes glanced upwards, creating eye contact that Rin had not seen in a long time. Placing a strong hand to his hip, Rin smirked.

"This means I'll never swim with you again."

Blue eyes widened as a gaped mouth stared in disbelief.

Any happiness was replaced with seriousness in Rin's smile. It faded to a thin line as he spoke the word again.

_**Now you can know what it feels like to have your heart shatter into millions of pieces that can never be glued back the same way. I want to see you try to pick them up, Haru. I want to see the same hopelessness and broken hope in the eyes that I wish were gray. **_

"Never."


	21. ReiGisa 8

_In the end..._

"Nagisa,"

The teen in question looked up from the goggles he had been adjusting.

Staring down with a serious expression was the other first-year whom had joined the club. With his scowl and deeply furrowed eyebrows, he seemed very conflicted. What could be on his mind?

"Is something the matter, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked without a grin. Perhaps he happened to be picking up on the mood Rei was emitting.

Ryugazaki's eyes drifted to the side.

"Are you... May I speak with you after practice?"

_I decided the best way was to be direct. The worst case scenario __is__ me quitting the swimming club because of this. If he tries to bring it up, I can always say it never happened. _

Nagisa stopped for a moment, eyes searching for a confused expression. A thought seemed to click in his mind for a moment before he smiled for the first time. He nodded, laughing.

"Of course, Rei-chan! We can stay as long as you'd like."

Rei mirrored the expression, though his was a bit more meek.

_At least he's cooperating. This makes my job a bit easier. Now to get through practice without leading him on to what I'll be saying. _

Rei's eyes shifted downwards in embarrassment.

_If only __**I **__knew exactly what I was going to say._

* * *

"Goodbye Haru-chan and Mako-chan! We'll see you tomorrow!" Nagisa's dark pink gaze of happy pupils watched as Makoto's hand waved a solemn and smiling farewell. He didn't need to have any gesture from Haru to know that the teen issued his most sincere goodbye as well. Though his friend didn't show it, he was quite emotional. Perhaps Nagisa could just sense it.

With the duo gone, Nagisa turned back to Rei. The teen had been very quiet during practice, and even now he stared to the ground, spacing out. Nagisa frowned.

"Rei-chan!" A loud shout awakened the spark inside Ryugazaki, causing him to jump several feet. He shot his pupils up to Nagisa and his confused expression.

"Ah! Oh, I'm sorry.. I just wasn't paying attention."

Despite his excuse, Nagisa wasn't sold. He was quite suspicious of the strange demeanor of his new friend. He figured the teen should be a little embarrassed over the situation, but not _this _much. He seemed to be going a little overboard.

"Let's go to the locker room and talk. Okay, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked, hoping to gather the purple pupils. However, he received no such eye contact. Only a shameful nod and starting stride showed him the little interest Rei was giving. Nagisa could only watch from behind as the swaying body moved forward, not paying the least bit attention to the worried expression on the blonde's face.

* * *

_I'm acting like a child about all of this. Why can't I at least look him in the eye!? _Rei stood in the middle of the floor, the concrete of the ground in his sight. He could sense the dark pink pupils staring at him from ahead, but he couldn't find any strength to lift his head. He closed his eyes.

_If I don't do something soon, then there won't be any way I'll be able to ask him... Just do it quickly... _

He tookd a deep breath.

"Nagisa, there's something I want to ask-"

"It's alright, Rei-chan." A hand stopped any words Rei had willed the courage to speak. It was a gentle and reassuring hand that landed on his shoulder and opened his eyes.

Nagisa stood in front of Rei, smile pointed upwards to his friend.

"You don't need to say anything. I know exactly why you're here." He laughed suddenly, shrugging a little.

"You seemed to be having a bit of trouble, and anyone would get embarrassed from asking, so I wanted to stop you and just answer. The answer is yes, Rei-chan." These words soared through the sky, turning the pole vaulter's cheeks red. He gasped suddenly, lost in the deep pink eyes that conveyed a deep understanding that he would have never thought could be there.

"Nagisa..." A smile appeared to Rei's face, sending the message of his sudden joy in the words.

Stepping away, Nagisa gave Rei a chance to recover.

_This is... This is better than I could have ever imagined. I was completely wrong about him. _

Snapping back into the situation, Rei realized Nagisa had approached the nearby bench of the locker room. There he stood alone, hands unzipping his jacket. When he had finished with this article, his hands gripped the bottom of his shirt. With a quick motion, the plain t-shirt was whipped to the bench. It revealed his bare chest to the world, and had Rei's eyes widening in surprise.

"You probably were too embarrassed to say it in front of Haru-chan and Mako-chan, right?"

The situation shifting so suddenly had Rei thrown for a loop. His pink face grew three shades darker as he faced the stripping teen.

_What is he doing!? Why is he taking off his clothes!? I may have never been in a relationship before this, but don't couples get closer or at least go on a few dates before they... _

Rei cleared his throat, feeling no saliva in his mouth.

"Y-Yeah, I was. But don't you think this is rushing it just a bit? I mean... Shouldn't we wait until we've gotten more adjusted?"

Nagisa's fingers skimmed his belt buckle. He began to pull on the brass, but his confused smile rose to face Rei.

"Hold back? Just because you're a beginner, I'm not going to go easy on you, Rei-chan! You better be ready!" He laughed.

_IhavenotreadaboutthiswhatdoIdo. _Thoughts swirled in Rei's mind as he watched the leather belt drop with a sick thud. Though the two were across the room from each other, it seemed as though not an inch separated them.

_I can't do this. _Rei closed his eyes as Nagisa's delicate fingers unbuttoned his jeans. Though he hadn't been able to look away when he had seen the boy strip the first time, this seemed to be a much more delicate area. Rei braced himself as he heard the pants fall to a heap in the floor.

"Are you ready, Rei-chan?" Nagisa's shout willed a decision to come to mind, however, with the sudden pressure, Rei found himself whispering back a surprising answer.

"Yes."

A still silence shook the room for several seconds as the two awaited the others' words. It was only when Nagisa approached Rei that the teen took a step back. He raised his hands, moving them fast in the air as if to defend himself. It was as if his courage disappeared with his deep breaths.

"I'M SORRY, NAGISA! I CAN'T DO THIS! I NEED TO PROPERLY RESEARCH BEFORE I CAN EVEN HOPE TO DO THIS!"

"What are you talking about, Rei-chan? I thought you already researched the swimming techniques."

_I told him; I don't understand a single thing about the whole procedure! Exactly what goes where and how does __**that **__fit in __**there—**__WAIT. _

Rei's eyes flashed open, his hands lowering to allow him vision of the friend standing directly in front of him.

Standing before Rei was Nagisa, however, his appearance was not as what had been expected. While it was true he had been stripping, a dark pair of swim trunks clung to his lower half. This made Rei pause for a moment to recollect the situation. His gaped mouth and widened eyes felt a shame and embarrassment that burned a deep hole into him.

"You're talking about... Practice..?" He asked slowly, as if the entire situation needed to be explained in childish terms.

Nagisa nodded curiously, crossing his arms as if it helped his brain try to make sense of it all. He squinted his eyes in deep thought.

"Of course. What were you thinking, Rei-chan-"

"Nothing! I wasn't thinking anything else!"

_This couldn't have turned out worse. Why do I always have to have these types of misunderstandings..?_

Rei turned on his heel, sights set towards the door in the distance. All he wanted to do was go home and explode. He began to storm out, hand touching the knob of the door.

"I'm sorry, I just remembered that I have other obligations. I have to-"

"Rei-chan, wait!" Nagisa yelled out. He grabbed Rei's swinging wrist, succeeding in stopping the freshman mid-stride. It was here that they paused, Rei still facing forward, as he couldn't find the courage to show his red face.

Nagisa smiled, laughing to himself as he spoke.

"Rei-chan, what did you think I was talking about..." His words trailed off slowly as a dark realization of his wording and actions dawned on him. Nagisa's smile faded. As did Rei's. He faced forward, indifferent expression hiding pain.

_Now he knows. It seems my mastering of the butterfly was for nothing. I still have pole-vaulting to go back to. Perhaps it's better this way. _

"Let me go." Rei's harsh orders were met without complaint, but as he felt the strength fading from Nagisa's grip, a sadness flared in his eyes only to be replaced with a film of blank pupils and feigned thoughts.

_It's not as if I even love him. _


	22. ReiGisa 9

Rei's hand lightly traced the door as he walked forward, absentmindedly stroking the wood as he did so.

However, before this freshman could make it out of the room with his look of crushed dreams, two hands wrapped around his chest. A body pressed into his from behind, lightly setting what he presumed to be a head in the middle of his two shoulder blades.

Rei stopped cold, eyes widening.

"Rei-chan, I want to ask you something." Nagisa whispered above the pound of the heart he could hear in his friend's chest. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes and squeezing his hands around Rei tighter.

"Can you see the colors too?"

Never could a question make Rei so happy as this one did.

Ryugazaki's mouth gaped.

It was impossible. Had he been wrong all along? Had Nagisa really just ignored the sudden colors he had seen, while Rei had tirelessly killed himself over their origins? Was he already swinging that way in the beginning?

Rei turned back, catching a glimpse of the blonde shorty in his peripheral vision. It was when Nagisa looked back that he could no longer keep the weight of the serious pink stare. He had to turn back for fear of melting his red cheeks to lava.

No, something told Rei that wasn't the reason for Nagisa hiding it. It was something more.

Rei's fast beating heart seemed to skip as he realized just the reason why Nagisa seemed to be so calm and collected.

_** Do you want to eat with us, Rei-chan?**_

_**I'm so happy that you finally called me by my first name!**_

Rei swallowed hard.

It was because, all along, Nagisa's only goal was to get him on the swim team. His obnoxious efforts to get closer and more friendly with Rei were brushed under the rug while Rei focused just on his own discomfort. The pole-vaulter's eyes drifted downwards in shame.

"Y-Yes... I do. I can see the colors, Nagisa." He admitted to himself and the person he had been denying for a long time.

_I chickened out before..._

Grabbing the hands gently wrapped around him, Rei lowered the arms from his clothes. He turned around, eyes still not ready to look up towards his soul mate.

_But now that I know he sees them too, I don't have anything to lose. I can say it. I can finally tell him. I've thought about what I've wanted to say for so long, and now I think I have the right words. _

For a moment, he stood still, but with enough glances up, Rei was finally able to work up the courage to stare directly to Nagisa. Big pink eyes looked into him, measuring every twitch or nervous jitter. Were his knees shaking? Was sweat forming on his neck?

Rei breathed in.

"Nagisa, you... Just by being there... You showed me the beautiful world I tried to make was ugly in comparison to you. I was finally able to see that truth because **you **were in my life.. I can.. Never show you enough gratitude for that. I can never hope to find the right words to tell you, but.. I like.. Nagisa, I love you. I don't care if you're a guy or that you're not the person I thought my soul mate would be; I am ill-logically in love with you."

Silence mocked the boy as he his cringing body started to feel weak from the dark pink gaze. Had he said something wrong? Was it too soon? Rei glanced away.

It suddenly felt way too soon. After all, he didn't have any concrete evidence that Nagisa felt the same way. The teen had only asked a question, and a vague one at that. What if he had gotten it wrong?

Nagisa furrowed his brows suddenly, offering a slightly confused smile.

"No, Rei-chan, you're wrong."

Nagisa's words stung like ice, sending shivers up Rei's neck. He shot his widened glance back, a hurt look plastered as his expression.

Seeing only a blur of blonde hair, Rei wondered of the boy's sudden movements only for a second before he realized exactly what was being done.

Pressing against his lips was the pink mouth kept by a funny, quirky, and happy little swimmer. It was soft and sweet, but despite this, Rei couldn't quite focus on enjoying himself. Worry and shock only found his mind cluttered with thoughts swirling into a storm far worse than any of them had experienced. When Nagisa finally returned back to his heels, a confident smile looked up to blue eyes.

"It was you who helped **me **more than anyone. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to do the things I want. I wouldn't have been able to swim with everyone or even smile because I wouldn't be able to do the thing that had made me the most happy."

Blinking past the recent action, Rei furrowed his brows in piqued curiosity.

"And what is that?"

Nagisa's smile seemed to bloom like the cherry blossoms in the spring.

"You!" He laughed.

This widened the blue pair of eyes rather largely. Rei shook his head as though the thought wasn't possible. He looked elsewhere, unable to even acknowledge the blatant lie.

Nagisa took a step closer, the burning in his dark pink eyes inescapable.

"I wouldn't have been able to get this close to someone! I wouldn't be as happy as I am now!"

Breathing in a rapid breath, Nagisa shouted the words as loudly as he could.

"And I couldn't have possibly loved someone so much as I love you! Can you hear it!?"

He yanked Rei's hand to his hot chest, and feeling the skin, the teen could tell. Rei's mouth slowly opened in surprise a his eye contact with Nagisa deepened.

He could tell his own fast-beating heart was not alone.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the long wait, Guys. I was sick and unable to write anything. I plan to post more frequently as my health returns.


	23. HaruRin 12

Red eyes stared past a silver-lined chain link fence. The narrowed pupils indifferent to the summer night looked on, not moving the shark boy's face in the slightest. He continued to look forward at the old school, skimming across the building highlighted only by the silver moonlight. No thoughts came to his mind, and it seemed like only white noise could be heard.

_I feel... So numb... _Rin breathed deeply, hand raising towards the spacing between the metal. His fingers interlocked into the chain link, and even squeezing hard, he couldn't feel a thing.

_I beat him. I beat Haru like I was always supposed to. He was in his prime, and I got my revenge for __**everything **__he has ever done to hurt me. I hurt him the way I knew could scar the most. I saw his horri__fied__ expression, but... _

Rin leaned forward, head bumping against the fence.

_I didn't feel any satisfaction from it. I didn't feel __**anything**__. Only when I saw him in the relay... When I saw all of them together, swimming as if I had never existed... _

He clenched his teeth, eyes closing in pain.

_That was when I felt something. That was when I started getting this feeling that I wanted to swim with him again. I want to go against my cruel promise, but I can't step forward. I'm slipping under the surface of the water, all the while seeing their smiling faces acting as though I meant nothing to them at all. Everything is getting dark. __They're all so close to me, and they know I'm drowning, but.. _

Rin felt his eyes water, yet no tears welled in the ducts. His eyes were completely dry. He withdrew into himself, scrunching his body tighter together.

_Why can't.. Why won't anyone reach in and save me..? _


	24. HaruRin 13

The sound of hundreds of voices filled the air, filled the freestyle swimmer's mind, but he couldn't understand what they meant. They came from all sides. Some were cheering, others were laughing, and even more individuals were clapping. What were they trying to do? What was the point? He blinked slowly, stopping his steps forward.

Rin looked upwards, skimming the bleachers and the hundreds of people who had come out for the event. His indifferent expression and narrowed eyes didn't give away his shaking vision or shattered nerves. He kept the same as always, emotions held below a frozen lake too thick to even crack.

"Senpai?" A voice from the side distinguished itself amongst the others, shaking Rin from his trance. His red eyes shot downwards and to the small freshman whom had been with him ever since he had arrived. However, this was the first time he had noticed his close presence.

Nitori furrowed his eyebrows, questioning the blank expression he had been watching.

"Rin-Senpai, are you alright?" He asked innocently.

Rin's eyes shifted left, avoiding the gaze of the worried teen. He shrugged his bag further over his shoulder, resuming in his steps and distant scowl.

"Don't worry about it." He replied from afar, not stopping to notice the awkward atmosphere he had left in his wake. Nitori was left alone, watching as the second year trudged forwards and into a nearby forming crowd.

"Rin-Senpai..."

* * *

"I think my brother's race is starting."

"Oh, yeah, there he is."

Haruka stared downwards from his vantage point in the bleachers. His cold gray eyes traced over the appearing figures of the swimmers, subconsciously looking for the person he always searched for. However, when that figure appeared, his mind couldn't decide what to do. Should he smile? Wave? Cheer? In the end, a frown and sad eyes only found their way to Haru's face. And perhaps he was just a bit sadder knowing how natural the expression felt.

"Hey, Haru," A voice to his side snapped fish boy from his melancholy stare, directing his pupils to a friend.

Makoto stared down, serious expression seeming more rare than ever. He gave a questioning stare.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

It was at that moment that he realized his expression had led Makoto to worry of his well-being. Any concern drained from his face as an indifferent expression took hold of him. Haru glanced away, skimming to the other swimmers climbing onto their starting blocks.

"I'm fine."

Despite not believing the obviously fake words, Makoto was forced to glance back to the starting race in front of him.

"On your mark..."

Haru found Rin once again, and staring down to him, he knew he couldn't lift his eyes. Curiosity of the end of the race was eating him up, though he was positive of the outcome already. Nonetheless, his squinted eyes remained rested on the shark boy.

"Get set.."

Rin's fingers touched the block, feeling the sandy consistency with every small shiver his body would make. Sure, no one from the bleachers could see it, but he figured his shaking knees couldn't really help in a performance.

His breaths came out long and jagged as he awaited the beep that would send all those around him flying headfirst into the murky depths of the pool.  
_ I wonder if he's here._

It rang out like a gunshot, springing every muscle to react in Rin's body at once. Without even thinking, he dove into the bluish black depths. Everything going on inside him was muscle memory. His legs pumped like a machine, arms circulating almost like the windmills near the countryside, yet something was... Off.

Rin squinted from behind his goggles, unable to see beyond the sickening colors in front of him. All at once, they overwhelmed him.

** "Do you love me?" **

Rin's legs slowed down, reducing the splashing waves.

** "I... I don't know..." **

He leaned to the side to breathe, but mostly water made it into his mouth.

** "I have an answer, if you can win the race."**

His arms bent, losing all structure and momentum.

** "You lived up to the promise; you beat me."**

No longer did his thoughts look to the race.

_I never.. I never got my answer..._

Connecting his hand to the edge of the pool, Rin could tell he was not the winner. He could tell he had to even came close. But even so..

** "This means I'll never swim with you again." **

_I never got my answer. And I don't think I ever will. _

Rin reached up to the edge of the pool, hoping to lift himself from the suddenly freezing lake of ice. He tried to pull himself, yet his hand slipped, driving himself deeper into the water. He lifted again, only to slip and pull his head under the surface. His eyes stung, and his aching muscles cried over their horrible performance, yet the boy kept trying and trying and trying. All the regret he should have been feeling that was numb suddenly came back with raw feeling, weighing him down more than any weights could.

Finally, after a final attempt, Rin settled to his spot in the pool. His eyes stared downwards, tracing over the ripples his dripping hair would create. He narrowed his eyes.

_Why did I say that?_

* * *

Watching from the bleachers, Haru's look of confusion over the race performance melted into horror. Haruka's mouth gaped as his eyes widened. He slowly rose from his seat, pupils unable to glance away from the pathetic attempts this swimmer made at such a simple act. The brave and harsh facade he had been putting forth was shattered in mere seconds, replacing any animosity in Haru's heart to guilt and sadness.

Haru swallowed hard.

_Rin.._

He was broken. Haru knew that all too well. Even after finally getting out of the water and walking off stage, Haru knew how hard this blow had been. He knew how Rin would react, but most importantly, he knew what he needed to do. He knew he needed to talk to him now before the Rin he had been so deeply in love with was gone forever, swallowed by his own hatred and self-pity.

And he needed to run.

Haru stepped on his foot, starting a clumsy and slow jog that eventually evolved into an all-out sprint. He could hear the shouts of his off-guard friends, but those words eventually fell off.

"Haru!"

"Haru, wait!"

But he couldn't wait. Not when it came to Rin.

Never.


	25. HaruRin 14

"I don't care!"

Distant yells alerted the Iwatobi swim club of the position of the freestyle swimmer. His loud screams and heavy atmosphere drew them in closer, picking up the speed of Haru's sprint. The fish boy watched as a scene appeared just around the bend of the corner.

A small freshman stared back to his senpai, hands held up in a defensive manner.

"But Senpai-"

"Just shut up, Nitori! It doesn't fucking matter anymore! Can't any of you see!?" Rin's foot connected with a nearby trashcan, sending the contents flying into the hall. His harsh action and glaring eyes stared deeply into Nitori.

"I am **never **swimming again. Just fuck it all!" Rin seemed to be finished with the topic, as he stormed off with little regard to the mess he had left.

Nitori lowered his hands, feeling the extent of his senior's anger. Though the words were supposed to be as outward as possible, Nitori couldn't help but feel the sad undertone hidden beneath them.

He turned slowly, slightly surprised in seeing the rival swim club approaching him.

Makoto was the leader, concern written across his face.

"What happened to Rin? Is everything alright?" Of course he knew nothing was right. Everyone did. While Rin was acting like the person they had known so long ago, this was something entirely different. And the race... Just what had happened?

Nitori gave a sad smile.

"You guys didn't hear? They took Rin off of the relay. He wasn't going to be able to swim with you all."

Haru's eyes widened.

_Rin was... What? _

Nitori nodded at the expressions of shock around him.

"Yeah... The captain said he wasn't focusing enough on his team, and therefore, he shouldn't swim with them. I didn't think.. I didn't think it would affect him like this.."

Rei shook his head, hand going towards his neck to rub the awkward atmosphere.

"I... Thought this was what he was talking about... I wasn't sure at the time, but..." All eyes turned to Rei, curious over his rather abrupt statement.

"What do you mean, Rei? Did you talk with Rin?" Makoto asked.

Ryugazaki could only offer another nod. He sighed, closing his eyes to remember.

"I talked with him last night, about the race. I don't think he knew about being off the team then, but there was something very strange about how he was talking. It made me think that he almost.." His blue eyes opened, staring to the team. A small smile appeared to his lips.

"Like Rin-Senpai wanted to swim with you all again. I don't think it was out of competitiveness that he wanted to participate in the relay."

Only those words were needed to start the blue flame in the swimmer's heart. Haru perked up, mouth gaping. His eyes darted to the side, ogling the hall to which Rin had stormed off towards.

_He.. Wanted to swim with us again? _

"We.." The four swimmers glanced towards Haru. Truth be told, Makoto was nearly shocked that the boy would say anything. He still seemed to be shell-shocked.

"We need to find Rin." Tachibana could see the fierce burning in his blue eyes. Despite this, only a smile came to his face. He nodded.

"Yes, we do."

Those words propelled a step to Haru's leg, following one after another until he was rounding the corner of the hallway. The pounding on the carpet was gone, replaced only by the eternal thought driving him forward.

_We need to find Rin. _

**_I need to find him. _**


	26. HaruRin 15

"Rin!"

**_I need to find him. _**

****The impact of Haru's sneakers against the sidewalk was a sharp pain that he ignored. Those he passed by were only blurs of individuals. Each time, he kept searching for the red that he could only remember, but never see. Somehow, the gray that Rin happened to be was bit more unique than any he had seen before. Perhaps he could use that to find him. And hopefully he could find him soon.

_If I could think of any place Rin would go, it would be... _

Haru's steps slowed to a pace that couldn't have beaten a snail. Soon enough, even his advancing ground halted. His breaths rang out in the air, though his sight did not stray from the black and white scene in front of him.

Standing under the barren arms of a familiar tree was a freestyle swimmer whom had lost all reason to swim. He eyed the tree nostalgically, tracing over the brown branches. Finally, when he heard the loud breaths nearby, Rin glanced over. And was annoyed that he had done so. His look of defeat hardened into a glare.

"It's you." He growled. Oddly enough, his expression of contempt did not last very long. A smile replaced it, though Haru could not take any solace in it.

"Are you here to laugh at me too, Haru? Why not go ahead? The whole world is." He sighed, shaking his head.

Haru took a bound forward, lashing out with his words.

"Rin, no, I'm not here to do that! Come back to the pool. There's still a chance that you can swim-"

"Swim? What's the point? I have no reason to swim anymore." Rin cut the boy off, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He pointed his stare to the ground.

However, Haru wouldn't be having any such delusions.

"Rin, you **love **to swim! You can't just give it up no-"

**"Excuse me?"**

The tone of the red-headed shark changed instantly. His eyes worked their way up to Haru, narrowing to a fine point.

"What did you just say to me? That I **love **swimming? What right do you have to say that to me? The person who can't even recognize love himself?"

Haru could tell he had hit a hard point. After all, this was something that had separated them for years. Even so, he couldn't just let things end there.

"Rin, I'm your-"

"Soul mate? You've got to be kidding me. You're anything but, even when you could see those colors. You always talked about how beautiful the water was! You never once looked at me! I felt used, as if you didn't care about how I was your soul mate! All you cared about was what I gave you! What the fuck did I mean to you!? I loved you so much, but you never so much as looked at me! Was seeing colors as beautiful as you thought, Haru!?"

Rin stepped forward, grabbing a chunk of the boy's jacket.

"So when you couldn't see anymore, you just dumped me like the garbage I always was!? Well how does it feel to know that you'll never see them again!? How pretty is your fucking water now!?"

Haru struggled against his grip.

"Rin.. I wasn't looking at the water... I was **never **looking at the water! I was looking at the person **in the water!** I had fallen in the love with the you who swam by my side! That was why I had fallen out of love with you when you came back! You no longer swam to be by me! We both lost sight of what we wanted, and I couldn't see anything because of it! But I see it now, Rin! I know who I'm swimming for!"

Rin's glare deepened at those words, unable to look away from the deep blue pools staring right into him.

"Who I want **you **to swim for!"

_ "_Shut up!"

Rin extended backwards to wind up for a punch. However, Haru was quick to catch the flying fist. The two of them tried to worm their way from the others' grasp, but the only thing they ended up doing was collapsing to the ground. They struggled for control, rolling along the dry dirt. It was when Rin established his dominance on top that they finally stopped their movement.

"I felt cheated out of everything! You stripped me down to my core, and then just sat there laughing, Haru! I thought I could finally get back at you by winning against you, and saying those horrible things, but in the end, I even failed in doing that! I didn't gain anything back that you took!" Rin squeezed the fabric of Haru's jacket, feeling the teen's hands try to pull him away. Even so, his clenched teeth and pumping blood wouldn't allow such an easy end to the fight.

"You took **everything**." He declared.

Haru struggled just to keep himself from being slammed into the ground, but soon the hands around him started to lose their grip. With this new development, Haru glanced up to the black and white face not staring at the person he was assaulting.

Rin's wandering eyes had caught the image of several neatly written words in the sand. A single stick lie next to the writing, but that wasn't the main point. What was, was the phrase.

_**What's on yours, Rin?**_

_** Yeah, what does that mean? **_

_** "For the Team." **_

__The days of mutual color flowed back into the boy, bringing tears to his eyes. The words below him became blurry, and all he could do was tightly grip the cloth still in his hands. His head lowered softly, finally resting on Haru's chest. It seems he had reached his breaking point.

"You... You hurt me so much when you said that, Haru. I thought you hadn't cared about me at all, and that everything we did was... Was just an annoyance to you." Rin sniffed, shaking his head against the fabric. His pitiful laugh vibrated against Haru's chest.

"I just want to be free. I don't want to be angry anymore. I just want to go back to the way things were, Haru. Can't we do that? Can't we go back to when both of us were too young to know anything? Maybe that way..."

**Maybe that way, I can stay by your side this time. **

Haru's hands lie flat against the ground, pushing the boy slightly upwards. Even as Rin had to lift his head, his eyes remained glued to the ground. He didn't want to face him just yet.

** Maybe that way, I won't push you away.**

Rin felt as Haru's fingers reached towards his eyes, wiping the tears. It was only in that moment that the boy could look at him, and recognize one of those fleeting smiles he had always wanted to make.

** Maybe that way, we can always be together. **

"Rin," Haru began, never dropping the eye contact between the two.

"We can't go back. We can't live in the past. No matter what, something has to change. I'm sorry, but I can't live the way we used to. I can't."

These words formed a ball in the swimmer's throat, choking him up. Once again, the colors around Rin started to make him sick.

"But do you know what we can do? We can start over. We can go back to the time before you said you wouldn't swim with me again. We can swim together, Rin. Even if it's like the past, it isn't living in it. We're going to move forward."

Haru flashed a brighter smile, one filled with teeth.

"So don't move away before we can finish it, okay?"

The wind around the two started to pick up, blowing Haru's jacket in the breeze. The colors flashed, billowing in a bright, bright way. Something more beautiful and precious than Rin had ever seen before. It was then that a nod came to his head, followed by yet more tears.

"Okay."


End file.
